Anna Dressed In Blood 1-100

Cas Lowood is a teenage boy who has the very unusual job of killing ghosts. He finds particularly violent spirits, and kills him with a special knife he got from his father. It’s what his dad did before him, but when his dad died, he took over. Cas moves from town to town often to find new ghosts to get rid of. His mom is very spiritual, and she does a lot of rituals with herbs and spices to try to keep them safe. He gets a letter from one of the people he trusts telling him about a ghost in Thunder Bay, Ontario called Anna Dressed In Blood. Anna is a very violent spirit who has killed everyone who dared enter her house since her death in 1958. She was killed wearing a white dress, and her ghost continues to wear that dress, except now it’s stained red and drips with blood. Cas gets to his new school and makes friends with the most popular girl in school, Carmel, in hopes that he will get to hear some stories about Anna. He also sort of becomes friends with a really unpopular kid named Thomas, who claims he can read minds. Cas goes to a party on the night of the first day of school with Carmel, and three of the popular guys in school, Mike, Chase, and Will. They end up talking about Anna, and Mike is a little drunk, so he really wants to go to Anna’s house. They go there, and Mike ends up getting killed, because he goes in the house. However, Cas goes in the house too, and for some reason, Anna doesn’t kill him. The next day at school, Cas, Carmel, Will, and Chase need to figure out a story to tell people; the police will never believe Mike was killed by a ghost. That night, Cas goes back to Anna’s house because he knows he has to kill her before she does more damage.

The Help 103-200

Skeeter is a very tall, out spoken person. She thinks she will never have the husband that her mother wants her to have. But thanks to Hilly and Elizabeth, Skeeter is going on this date that may change everyone's view about her. And after she has gone out on this date, they figure out that they were actually meant to be together. Meanwhile, Abileen is having a hard time with trusting any white person, even Skeeter. There has been a random shooting late one night while Abileen was watching Mae Mobley so the Leefolt's could go to the picture show. That and Hilly went searching threw Skeeter's bag that she accidentally left at the League meeting, and she found a book that Skeeter took from the library on Black's Rights. And now she is being her nosy self spreading anyone but her own business. And now in the book Skeeter has given the option to drop out of the whole book works and just live her life before things get so bad that they both loose their lives.

Bitter End Book Response

Book Title: Bitter End
Author: Jennifer Brown
Year of Publication: 2011
Number of Pages: 354
AR Points Awarded: 13

Literary Elements
Narrator - First person, Alex. “...when I used them she told me I was a born poet, which was kind of cool.” p. 1
Protagonist - Alex is a teenage girl who loves to write poetry. She lacks love in her life because her mom died when she was young, and her dad doesn’t pay attention to her. She values her best friends, Zack and Bethany, more than anything. “If I had to describe my best friend, Bethany, on one word, it would be persistent. Or maybe unrelenting. Or, if I were writing her into a poem, I might use importunate...” p. 1
Antagonist - Cole seems to be a good guy. He treats Alex well, and he seems to be a great boyfriend, but he turns into the antagonist when he begins beating her. “...I stumbled from the force of his shove and fell backward, toppling over my chair and smacking my hip hard against the floor.” p. 194
Setting - Most of the story takes place in Alex’s school and neighborhood, but some of the important parts take place at Cole’s house. Neighborhood: “I stepped off the front porch, grabbing Cole’s hand, and walked down the driveway, then turned left on the sidewalk toward the neighborhood playground where Zack and Bethany and I used to play...” p. 87. Cole’s house: “The house was completely dark when we walked in. Cave-like, almost. And had it not been for the echoing drone of sitcom dialogue off in the distance, followed by bouts of prerecorded laugh track, I’d have thought for sure Cole and I were alone.” p. 166. The setting in Cole’s house indicates that bad things will happen there later. It sets a dark mood for the story.
Conflict - Even though Cole was beating Alex physically the whole story, I think the main conflict was man versus self. Alex had a really tough time coming to terms with what was happening and breaking it off with Cole. “I believed him and I didn’t. I hated him and I didn’t. I loved him and I didn’t.” p. 240
Theme - The main theme of the story is that no one deserves to go through what Alex did, and dating violence is a real problem. If a person needs help, they should ask for help. “But I know you, Alex. You’re not stupid. You’re just caught up in something too big to handle on your own.” p. 332
Historical Context - Cole calls Alex “Emily Dickinson” since she is a good poet, and she’s a very famous historical author. “‘I don’t read a lot of poetry, but this...’ He gazed at the paper again. ‘Wow. You’re like...Emily Dickinson or something.’” p. 41

Reflection
I really liked Bitter End. I thought it was easy to read, and it had a really good message. Dating violence is a real problem and I like reading books about “tough” issues. I really identified with the main character, Alex. She was just a regular high school girl trying to fit in, and she just ended up with the wrong person. She was way too trusting of people, and I feel like I can be that way sometimes. It reminded me of a lot of books I’ve read about tough subjects such as suicide, violence, or eating disorders. It tackled a tough issue in a way that made sure the reader will not forget what she’s read for a long time. I don’t know if this book would make a good movie because I feel like it would be kind of like Twilight, and everybody would hate the main character. Alex gets very stupid during the middle and end of the book. She ditches her friends for a guy who abuses her, and she changes to become a not very nice person. I would recommend the book to high school girls because it is easy to relate to for them, and it provides valuable lessons about love and life. It didn’t end quite like I expected. I expected Alex and Cole to not end up together, but I didn’t expect him to beat her nearly to death and land her in the hospital. However, I did like the ending when Bethany, Zack, and Alex ended up going on their trip to Colorado.

Bitter End 301-354

After Zack’s big debut in the school musical, Cole and Alex went out together, and Cole told her that he was in anger counseling. He said that he was going to change because he loved her, and she believed him. Alex went over to Zack’s house while Bethany was there to ask if Cole could come on the Colorado trip, because he was a new person now. They ended up getting into a huge fight, and Alex felt like she didn’t have anybody but Cole. The next day at work, Alex had a customer who was a girl from Cole’s old school, Maria. Alex started talking to her, and Maria noticed a bruise on Alex’s arm. She told Alex that she needed to get out of her relationship with Cole immediately. She had dated Cole when he went to her school, and he broke her arm and hurt another girl too. Maria also said that Cole was only going to anger counseling because he had been ordered to by the court after he broke her arm. Alex was pretty visibly shaken up, and Georgia noticed and asked what was wrong. Alex told her everything that had happened, and they decided together that it was time for Alex to end it with Cole. When Alex left work that night, she noticed Cole was in the parking lot, and Cole was really mad. He had seen her talking to Maria, and he knew what had been said. He started pushing her, beating her, and kicking her. Just when Alex thought she couldn’t take anymore, and she might die, Georgia came out and called the cops, and Cole left. Alex had to go to the hospital because she had a lot of broken bones, and she needed a lot of stitches. After she got home from the hospital, Cole called her phone. She ignored him, and never spoke to him again. Bethany, Zack, and Alex’s friendship was eventually as strong as it had been before all this, and they ended up taking the trip to Colorado they had always dreamed of.

Bitter End 201-300

Alex’s wrist is badly bruised the next day, and her sister Celia notices right away. Alex tries to hide it with foundation before she goes to work that day, but her coworker, and basically her other mom, Georgia, notices it. Georgia confronts her about it, but Alex plays it off like it’s nothing, and then notices Cole in the parking lot, so she runs away to be with him. He apologized for hurting her and said he was really sorry, and that he promised it would never happen again. The next day, Zack got the lead in the school play, so Bethany, Zack, and Alex went out to celebrate. Alex was supposed to go watch Cole play basketball, but she decided to go with Bethany and Zack first, and then go watch Cole the second half. She ended up being late, and by the time she got to the school, all the cars were gone. She decided to go to Cole’s house to make it up to him. When she got there, she went into his room, and he was really quiet for a few minutes. Then he got up and ran to her, grabbed her throat, and started trying to choke her. He punched her in the face twice and threw her to the floor. She just lay there, crying, not knowing what to do, but ten minutes later, a totally different Cole came over to her and said how sorry he was and that he could make it up to her. She stayed home from school the next few days because her face was so bruised, and she pretended she had the flu. All this time, Cole was leaving her notes and sending her flowers, and saying how sorry he was. When she got better, Cole took her out on some really romantic dates, and did really romantic things, so Alex convinced herself that she was still in love with him and that he truly was going to change. The next week, Cole had a basketball game, and his team lost horribly. After the game, Alex waited for him in the parking lot, and when he came out, he was really angry, and he pushed her to the ground. She bruised her shoulder, scraped the skin off of most of her face, and lost a tooth. When she was laying in bed sleeping that night, she heard him outside her window yelling, and then she looked out and saw Zack beating him up, and telling him to never touch Alex again. Bethany and Zack were still really concerned about her, and they really wanted her to break it off with Cole, even though she had not been a good friend at all.

Enclave pages 1-100

Deuce was born during the second holocaust. She had heard of people living longer in the past, but in her world nobody even lived to see forty. On her birthday she became a Huntress, and started to go on patrol in search of food to feed the brats in the enclave. Her and her partner Fade go out on patrols in the tunnels for a certain time every night. While they were out on patrol they found a blind brat from the enclave of Nassau in one of the tunnels. He told them that Nassau had been overrun by Freaks and that the entire population of the enclave had been wiped out and eaten by them. Deuce and Fade took this information back to their elders, and then were sent to Nassau to find out exactly what has happened. When they arrived, what they found was that the Freaks had gotten smarter and attacked the whole enclave at once, killing everyone. Deuce and Fade gathered little valuables that were left, and then returned to their enclave to tell their elders. The elders are worried that the Freaks may be working their way to the enclave to kill everyone and satisfy their hunger.

Fallen Angels 1-102

19 year old Richard Perry joins the army fresh out of high school and being deployed to Vietnam. He starts off his journey to Nam in a plane that is on its way from Massachusetts to refuel in Alaska. He talks with many people there who he will be spending his time with when he gets to Nam. A woman he sits with Judy Duncan, a pretty woman in a dress uniform, fancies his interest and he spends most of his time with her on the plane ride. They reach Alaska and refuel the plane. He met some new friends that will be joining him in his Company at Vietnam. A man with the last name Gates was with him and is constantly worrying about the "Congs" attacking even before reaching Vietnam. Then Perry meets another person who goes by the name of Peewee. Peewee is from Alabama and has red hair and joined for something to do. He is very ballsy and maybe a little dumb when it comes to talking to people. He says whatever is on his mind no matter how big the guy is and the possibility of getting in a fight. They become friends quickly eating their meals together and staying in the same tents. They spend a lot of their time in Vietnam waiting for things to happen. He meets some more friends that would stick with him throughout his time in Vietnam. He met Lobel an African American who loves movies. Then Johnson a giant man who is also African American who constantly bickers with Peewee. As time moves on they start to get restless eating the same roast beef and potatoes everyday and doing the same stuff to keep them entertained. Then one day when they go out on patrol Jenkins, one of Perry's friends who road on the plane with him, steps on a landmine and is killed. This puts Perry in a worried depressed state for awhile and makes him realize the dangers that they are more likely to face. Word begins to spread that his Company will be going to Hawaii and going to be stationed there. Days later they are rallied to go look for Charlie Company that has been missing all night. They get to the LZ anxious and nervous and see nothing then are fired upon but then enemy retreats before they had time to fire back. They head back with no injuries. The next couple days they are followed around by camera crew and interviewed. They are all asked the same question. Why did you come here to fight? They all came up with good answers but at the end where wondering the same thing.

The Help 1-103

When I first opened the book it tells me where this all is taking place, and that it Jackson, Mississippi in 1960. Its starts out with one of the help, telling about how she has raised many children in her life but they all are white babies. And this one she is currently raising now is not going to have an easy life. Then she goes on to tell us how she has to ride the bus to work everyday, and every night. She can only go into a white grocery store if she is wearing her uniform. They family she is working for do not have they money they make it out to be. But they make the best of it. The husband is a rude man, and his wife is a snooty wanna-be that wants nothing to do with her daughter. The maids name is Aibleen. She lost her son when he was 24, "the best part of a person's life' as she says. She lives alone, but she is also known for her prayers. Minny (one of the other maids) says that everyone if lined up in front of god for him to listen while Aibleen is sitting right in his ear. Recently, Skeeter (one of the members of the League) has asked Aibleen to help her with some articles for he Jackson Journal. But Skeeter has another job lined up to write for a much bigger name. So she asked Aibleen if she would be willing to tell some stories about the life of a maid working for a white family, and raising their child for them while they take full credit. And Minny just got fired from her job working for Mrs. Hilly (another one of the ladies in the league). But she was trying to find another job in town, but Mes. Hilly has gone and told lies to everyone so she can't. So Minny decided to go to the one person in town they will not talk to and help there Mrs. Celia Foote. Mrs. Hilly had gone steady with Mr. Foote for a while but when they had broke up he got together with Celia. So nobody will let her around because Hilly goes and throws a fit and gets her way. When the League was having one of their very popular bridge games at Mrs. Lefolt's house, a topic was brought up that makes some people just so ignorant. Hilly brought up the fact that she will not go to the restroom in anyone's house that the help uses as well. So they brought up that every house should and needs to have a separate bathroom for the help because they think that blacks carry different diseases. But right now in the book, Skeeter is suppose to meet up with a guy who has canceled on her twice now. and Hilly is trying to convince her that it doesn't matter what her momma has told her that he is good for her.

Bitter End 101-200

About a week after Alex and Cole started dating, during their student-tutor class, Cole came in talking on the phone, yelling at his mom. Even after he got off the phone, he still seemed really dark and angry. This took Alex by surprise because she had never seen this side of him. A few days later, Cole and Alex went to the park. Alex got on the merry-go-round, and Cole started spinning her really fast. Even after she asked him to stop, he just kept going faster. He was starting to get kind of mean, but Alex was still convinced that she was in love with him. A few days later, Alex, Cole, Bethany, and Zack rode to a party together because Alex wanted them all to become friends. Bethany and Zack really didn’t like Cole at all. In the car ride, Cole got really mean toward Bethany and Zack and even made Bethany cry. Zack and Bethany got really mad at Alex this time, and Bethany asked Alex if she could come over to Zack’s house tonight so they could talk about all that was going on. Alex promised she would, but instead she ended up hanging out with Cole. She went to his house and met his parents for the first time. His dad was very loud and belligerent and he was constantly drinking, and his mom was very timid and quiet. That night, Alex and Cole slept together. The next day, Bethany, Zack, and Alex made up, and had a tickle-war in the school parking lot. Alex also went to Zack’s house that night just to hang out. The next day at school, Cole seemed to be avoiding her until the student-tutor class. Cole came in and grabbed Alex by the wrist, gave her a bruise, pushed her down and hurt her hip, and then pulled her up by her hair. He said he had seen Alex and Zack tickling each other, and he had seen Alex leaving his house late at night. Even after this violence, Alex was making excuses for Cole and saying she still loved him.

Bitter End 1-100

Alex is just a regular high school girl. She’s not ‘popular,’ but she’s not a total outcast either. Her mom died when she was younger, and her death is kind of a mystery. All Alex knows is that her mom was in a car on the way to Colorado when she wrecked and died. She doesn’t really remember her mom much. Because of this, ever since she was little, she’s dreamed of taking a trip to Colorado to try to find out anything she can about her mom’s death, or why her mom wanted to go to Colorado in the first place. She’s planning a trip to Colorado with her two best friends. Her friend Bethany is very determined and strong-willed. Her other friend, Zack, is kind of the class clown and is a little immature. Alex helps Zack in a student-tutor program, so she’s not very happy when a new boy comes, and she’s assigned to tutor him. However, she quickly falls for him, and he seems to like her too. They go out on a date, and things seem to go really well. For their second date, they went to a movie, and he even kissed her. However, Alex is always blowing off Zack and Bethany to hang out with new-guy, Cole. They get a little upset about this, but Alex isn’t too worried. She’s just excited that she finally has a boyfriend.