Paper Towns Book Response

Book Title: Paper Towns
Author: John Green
Year of Publication:
Number of Pages:
AR Points Awarded: 13

I. Literary Elements
    A.Narrator- First Person (Quentin) ‘“It’s not that I don’t like prom. I also don’t like the people who like prom,” I explained...’ p. 12
Protagonist- Quentin is the protagonist. He is one of those kind of weird high school kids that has a crush on the popular girl, Margo Roth Spiegelman. “I laughed awkwardly...” p. 25
    B.Antagonist- Margo is the Antagonist. She just wanted to basically find who she really was, so she left and went to New York. “...’it seems that Margo has run away. Again.’” p. 101
    C.Setting- This mostly takes place in Orlando, Florida. It goes anywhere from the school, to around town, and to Q’s friends’ houses. At the end of the book it takes place in Agloe, New York. “There, in the distance, Disney World.” p. 57
    D.Conflict- I think it’s man v. man because Q is kind of against Margo. He doesn’t want Margo to leave, but she wants to go off and explore by herself so she can find out who she really is. “Margo Roth Spiegelman was a person, too.” p. 199
    E.Theme- I think the theme is basically just growing up. Margo’s parents always say how she is a selfish self centered human being. Margo just doesn’t like what people think of her because they don’t actually know the real her, they just know what they see. ‘“...And still so self-centered!”’ p. 101
    F.Historical Context- This book always refers back to Walt Whitman and his poems. “...wedged between two yearbooks. Walt Whitman.” p. 115

II. Reflection- I thoroughly enjoyed this book a lot. I never knew what was coming next. I would predict one thing, but then another happened. It always caught my attention no matter what. In the end, I always thought Margo and Q would end up together, but they don’t. Margo just keeps on traveling and Q goes back to Florida so he can go to college and have his own life.

Insurgent Book Response

Book Title: Insurgent
Author: Veronica Roth
Year of Publication: 2012
Number of Pages: 525

II. Literary Elements
Narrator-First person "I'll go," I say. p.168

Protagonist-Beatrice, She is the most Divergent person in the city. She becomes the leader in everything she does. People follow her even if what she is doing is the right thing or not. Beatrice never acknowledges herself as a leader though. "No," I say. I clear my throat and say it louder. "No, you don't have to vote. I refuse my nomination." p. 267

Antagonist-Erudite, They started the war between the factions and are the cause of much destruction throughout the city. Beatrice forms a group to fight the Erudite. "We're running from the Erudite," says Caleb. p.90

Setting- Dystopian Chicago, The city is now torn apart because of the war that has been going on. The only place that hasn't been affected is Amity, which live outside of the city on orchards.

Conflict-The conflict is trying to stop the Erudite from taking complete control over the city's government. What's left of the Dauntless and Abnegation join together with some of the Candor to fight the Erudite. Amity stays out of all the fighting.

Theme-Voice your opinion. If you believe that something is wrong or could be done better so no one gets hurt, make sure you tell someone what you believe. It could change everything.

III. Reflection
I enjoyed this book very much. It was non-stop action the whole time. It made me want to keep reading and not put the book down. It kept me on my toes. I would recommend this book to someone who likes sort of futuristic settings and major conflicts with non-stop action.

Between Shades of Gray Book Response

Book Title: Between Shades of Gray
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Year of Publication: 2011
Number of pages: 341

II. Literary Elements
Narrator-First person "You scared me," I said. p.202

Protagonist-Lina, She is captured by the NKVD along with her family and many others in Lithuania. They are packed onto trains and taken to labor camps in Siberia. They spend over a year in these camps and only about half of the people survive this experience. "Are we being arrested?" began Jonas. p.7

Antagonist- The NKVD, They are Russian soldiers. There is a war going on and they have captured Lithuania. They are deporting anyone associated with people that have done something to go against Russia. "Davai!' yelled Kretzsky.

Setting- All throughout Russia and Siberia "A beet farm near Turaciak," replied Mother.

Conflict- The deportees trying to survive the journey they have been forced to take. "But how will we survive without bread?" asked Mrs. Rimas. p.297

Theme- No matter how hard times get, to survive you must have the will to survive. "Say it. Say, 'We're going home.'" p.328

III. Reflection
This book kept me interested the entire time. I wanted to know what would happen next to Lina's family. Even though there wasn't constant action taking place, it was still hard to put down. I would recommend this book to people who like war stories and ones that follow a person's life.

13 Little Blue Envelopes 1-12

Aunt Peg got a full scholarship to a college, but then she decided to take year off and work. The next year she when to a small community college to pick up a minor in performance art.

The Great Gatsby 100-180

Tom and Daisy show up at Gatsby's house for a party one night. Gatsby was unhappy because Daisy had an unpleasant time at his party. Gatsby wants things to be the exact same between him and Daisy before he had left Louisville. He wants Daisy to leave Tom for him. All he really wants is for Daisy to tell Tom that she never really loved him. Gatsby calls off all of his parties and fires all of his servants. Nick doesn't really know what happened until one afternoon he went over to talk to Gatsby. Gatsby had told Nick that Daisy had been spending a lot of time at his house and he didn't want anyone spreading rumors. One day when Gatsby was over at Daisy's house for tea, Tom figured out what was going on between them. They all go into the city for the day. Gatsby and Tom end up getting into a fight. Daisy tells Tom how she has never loved him. They then go back home and Daisy is driving Gatsby's car. On the way home, Myrtle Wilson runs in the middle of the highway. Daisy ends up hitting her. Daisy keeps on driving, but Myrtle dies instantly. Nick tells Gatsby to just give up on Daisy, but he refuses. Wilson was determined to find the owner to the car and he figured out it was Gatsby. He then went to Gatsby's house and found him floating in the pool. He then shot Gatsby, killing him, and then shot himself. Nick tried holding a big funeral for Gatsby, but no one would come except Gatsby's dad and a few other people. Gatsby's dad filled Nick on Gatsby's early life. Nick learned that Tom and Daisy are careless people who will never have negative consequences all because they have a lot of money to protect them. Nick decides to move back to the Midwest.

The Great Gatsby 81-150

Gatsby goes over to Nick's house for his tea with Daisy. At first he acts very nervous and awkward, like a lovestruck teenager. Then he starts acting really joyful, and he warms up to her a lot. Gatsby takes Daisy and Nick back to his house to show her all of his stuff. They start to reconnect, and Nick kind of sneaks out when he notices that they're so into each other that they're hardly paying attention to him anymore. Nick finally reveals part of Gatsby's past. He did not inherit his wealth from anyone. He lived on a farm in North Dakota and attended college in Minnesota for a while before going to work on a yacht. The man that he worked for on the yacht really liked him, and he tried to leave his inheritance to Gatsby. However, the man's wife stole the money. After this, Gatsby dedicated his life to becoming wealthy. Tom begins to become suspicious of Gatsby, but he doesn't realize yet that Gatsby and Daisy are having an affair. He attends a party at Gatsby's with Daisy one night to keep an eye on him, and he ends up getting angry and telling Daisy that Gatsby is just a criminal. Daisy denies it and says he got his money honestly. Gatsby is starting to get a little distressed in his relationship with Daisy because he wants everything to be like it was the first time they were together, but so much has changed over the five years. Daisy, Gatsby, Jordan, Nick, and Tom all go to New York together. Tom is getting really fed up with Gatsby because he has definitely figured out that Gatsby and Daisy are having a fling. Gatsby and Daisy go in one car while Nick, Tom, and Jordan travel in another car. When they all get there, it's too hot to be outside, so they rent a suite to be in. Tom immediately confronts Gatsby and starts trying to pick a fight with him. Gatsby ends up yelling at him that Daisy never even loved him, and she's going to leave Tom for him. As they're fighting, Daisy realizes that she does love Tom, and even though she loves Gatsby too, she just can't be with him. They head back to Long Island the same way they came. Nick, Tom, and Jordan come upon the scene of an accident, and they realize that Myrtle, Tom's mistress, has been hit by a vehicle and killed. After hearing about the type of vehicle it was, Nick realizes it was Gatsby's car. He gets back to Gatsby's house, and Gatsby tells him that Daisy was actually driving at the time, but he's going to cover for her, because he's still in love with her even though she has chosen Tom over him.

The Great Gatsby 80-180

Gatsby is nervous about the reunion between him and Daisy. The meeting between them is very awkward at first, but then becomes a joyful experience for the both of them. Once they are done at Nick's house, they all head over to Gatsby's mansion so he can show Daisy his possessions. Daisy is overwhelmed by his lifestyle. Nick wonders about the two. Gatsby has dreamed and fantasized about Daisy ever since they were split up. Nick is concerned if Daisy can live up to those expectations that have been set by Gatsby. Later, Nick interrupts an interview of Gatsby's and tells how he really lived his life. He was born James Gatz and lived on a farm in North Dakota. He dropped out of college after two weeks. Gatsby fell in love with wealth after traveling the world on Dan Cody's yacht. After this experience, Gatsby told himself that he would become a wealthy man. Tom shows up at Gatsby's house one day, then Tom invites Gatsby to his house for dinner because he is suspicious about the two. After Daisy has a bad time at one of his parties, Gatsby goes to Nick for help. Gatsby calls off his parties because they were just a way to try to lure Daisy to his house. Nick goes to Tom's house for lunch, and Gatsby and Jordan are there as well. Daisy and Gatsby show their love for each other, and this aggravates Tom. They all go into New York City and find out the Wilson discovered that his wife has been cheating on him, but doesn't know with who. Tom questions Gatsby about his life, and then the group heads back to Long Island. On the way there, they discover that Myrtle has been killed in a hit-and-run. Nick believes that she was hit by Gatsby and Daisy. Once home, Nick is sent to check in on Daisy. He finds that her and Tom are back to normal. Nick tries to tell Gatsby to leave Daisy and Long Island, but Gatsby refuses to leave her behind. Nick goes to work, then has a long talk with George Wilson about Myrtle. Wilson goes to Gatsby's house, where he shoots Gatsby, then shoots himself. Nick heads back to find Gatsby dead in his pool. Very few people attend his funeral. Tom and Daisy leave New York without telling anyone. Gatsby's father, Henry C. Gatz, came from Minnesota to attend the funeral. He tells Nick of Gatsby's early life. Nick decides to move back the Midwest. Before he leaves, he meets Tom. Tom tells him that told Wilson that Gatsby owned the car that killed Myrtle. Before Nick leaves New York, he reflects on his time there. The lifestyle in the East is very different from the Midwest and it shapes people's personalities. Nick reflects on what America must have been like for explorers coming their to chase their dream. He compares this to Gatsby's relationship with Daisy.

The Great Gatsby 1-100

Nick has moved to New York to get into the bond business. He lives in what's called the West Egg, and his cousin, Daisy, lives across the bay in the East Egg with her husband, Tom. Nick ends up meeting Daisy's friend, Jordan. One night, someone brings up Mr. Gatsby, who lives next door to Nick. No one knows much about Gatsby, other than rumors they've heard about him killing a guy. Jordan tells Nick that Tom is cheating on Daisy with his mistress, Myrtle. Tom then introduces Nick to Myrtle. Nick then gets invited to one of Gatsby's huge parties at his mansion. He meets Jordan there, and he just sits and talks to her because he doesn't really know anyone else. Later that evening he is sitting by a man and tells him how he has never met the host of the party. The man then introduced himself as Jay Gatsby. Nick and Jordan end up dating, and Gatsby and Nick become friends and hang out. Nick then finds out about Gatsby's past and he learns how he used to have a relationship with Daisy. Daisy is the only reason he moved back to New York, because he wanted to be closer to her. Nick is suppose to arrange a tea and invite Daisy over, but she isn't suppose to bring Tom. Gatsby shows up and he introduces himself to Daisy. Then Daisy remembers the past and how they've actually met before. After having tea, Gatsby asks Daisy if he can give her a tour of his house, which she is greatly impressed by how big it is. Gatsby gives Daisy and Nick a tour, and Daisy starts crying because it brings back so many memories.

The Great Gatsby 1-80

Nick is a young man that has moved to New York from the Midwest to go into the bond business. He moves to a part of Long Island called the West Egg, and right next to that there is the East Egg. Nick's arrogant cousin, Tom, and his flighty wife, Daisy, live on the East Egg. One night, Nick goes over to eat supper with them. This is where he meets Jordan, who is a golfer and Daisy's good friend. At their supper, somebody brings up Jay Gatsby, a man who lives next to Nick on the West Egg. Nick doesn't know him, but he hears a lot of far-fetched and extraordinary rumors about him. Nick also finds out from Jordan that Tom is cheating on Daisy with his mistress, Myrtle. A few days later,  Nick goes with Tom to meet Myrtle. They all go to Tom's apartment to have a party, and Nick hears more about this infamous Gatsby. Tom punches Myrtle in the face when she brings up Daisy, and breaks her nose, further showing off his strength and temper. A few days later, Nick gets invited to a party at Gatsby's mansion. He is one of the few guests that is invited; most guests just show up. When he gets there, he finds Jordan and talks to her because he doesn't really know anyone else. He sits down with a man and tells him that he hasn't even met Gatsby yet. That man then introduces himself as Gatsby. Gatsby and Nick kind of become friends and hang out together sometimes. Nick also starts to date Jordan, even though he knows that she's dishonest, and he kind of wavers back and forth on how much he actually likes her. A few days later, when Nick is hanging out with Gatsby, Gatsby tells him about his past, and how he went to Oxford and where he came from. Nick believes him, but later, when he meets up with a dishonest man who had rigged the World Series a few years before, Nick becomes suspicious. He doesn't know why Gatsby has ties to this man, and he finds it a little suspicious. Nick also finds out that Gatsby and Daisy used to be together, and Gatsby moved back to be closer to her. He's supposed to arrange a tea date with Jordan, and invite Gatsby and Daisy, but not let Daisy know that Gatsby will be there.

The Great Gatsby 1-80

The book is narrated by Nick Carraway, a man from Minnesota that moved to New York to learn about the bond business. Nick rents a house on West Egg. It is a beat up bungalow in between two mansions. The one mansion belongs to Gatsby. Nick goes to East Egg to have dinner with Daisy, his cousin, and her husband Tom. As they are eating dinner, Tom gets a phone call. Daisy's friend Jordan, tells Nick that it is from Tom's lover, who is also in New York. When Nick is leaving, Tom tells him that he would like for him to take interest in Jordan. When Nick gets home, he sees Gatsby on his lawn looking out at the water. In between West Egg and the rest of the city lies a valley where ashes are dumped, and above the valley is a billboard. On the billboard are the unblinking eyes of Dr. TJ Eckleburg. Nick and Tom take a train through the valley to George Wilson's place. This is where Myrtle, Tom's lover, lives. Then they go to an apartment to have a party. Nick is told that Jay Gatsby is a relative of Kaiser Wilhelm, who was the ruler of Germany in World War I. Tom gives Myrtle a puppy during the party. Tom then breaks her nose when she mentions Daisy. Gatsby has become famous throughout New York because of the parties he holds. Nick attends one of the parties. No one there knows the truth about how Gatsby got so wealthy or how he got to where he is in life. Gatsby is no where to be found, so Nick and Jordan go out to find him. Nick and Jordan find sitting outside at a table. Nick and Gatsby talk for a while until Gatsby gets a phone call. Nick takes Tom and Daisy's advice and starts seeing Jordan, even though he thinks she is untrustworthy. Gatsby takes Nick to lunch one day and tells him about his past. Nick realizes that his story doesn't really add up, but then Gatsby shows him examples of what he said to prove that it's true. As they are entering the city, Gatsby gets pulled over, but is left alone when he shows the officer a card. He introduces Nick to Meyer Wolfshiem, who was supposedly responsible for fixing the World Series. Wolfshiem has connections with underground business and that makes Nick believe that Gatsby's wealth has something to do with this. Nick meets up with Jordan, who tells him that Gatsby is in love with Daisy. Jordan tells Nick that Daisy fell in love with Gatsby when he was a military officer in her town. She also says that he bought his mansion in West Egg so he could be closer to her. Gatsby asked Jordan to try to convince Nick to have him and Daisy meet up.

Between Shades of Gray 300-338

In the wake of learning of their father's death, Lina struggles to keep fighting for her life. The weather keeps getting worse and more people fall ill and are dying. One day, a little found a huge owl frozen in the snow. Lina stuffed it inside her coat while others joined around her so she wouldn't be seen by the NKVD. Lina's mother became weaker and weaker. Lina tried getting medicine for her, but failed. Then, on January 5, Lina's mother died. They immediately decided to bury her so she wouldn't be thrown in the pile of other corpses for foxes to eat. They built a coffin and many people joined in to help bury her. A couple days later, Lina went to steal wood from the NKVD. She was met by Kretzsky. After a heated conversation, he let her take some wood. More people got sick, including Jonas, whose scurvy came back. Then one day, a man came into their hut. He was a doctor who was sent there to give a report on the place. The man was there for ten days helping the healing them. On the last day he was there, he asked Lina about her father. After telling him that he died in a prison, the man told her that he has met many dead people and this could be the same story with her father. It gave Lina hope. Jonas was getting better everyday again. Then one day, when Lina went to go chop wood, she saw a sliver of gold appear between shades of gray on the horizon. The polar night was over. She had survived the winter in Siberia.