Why I chose the books I did this year

The three books I read this year were Thirteen Reasons Why, Breaking Dawn, and Trafficked. These books are very different from each other but hold spots of my three favorite books of all time. I chose to read Thirteen Reasons Why because I loved the reality of it. This is by far my favorite book ever. Jay Asher took real life extremes and applied them to the life of a girl that could easily be related to by other teenage girls. I loved the emotion this book evoked in me and how it made me never want to put the book down. I have yet to read another book that has made me feel that way. I never thought before reading this book that a novel could change your life and how you view certain things. The darkness and morbidity of the book really caught my attention. Because each of the scenarios seen in this book can be seen in real life too, it has interested many girls and guys of all ages. Breaking Dawn falls into my second favorite book of all time. Although the whole series of Twilight was amazing, Breaking Dawn stood out to me the most. I loved how dramatic this book of the series was. It involved so many different emotions and themes that it kept the reader constantly wanting more. The romance, heartbreak, danger, ethics, and fantasy of Breaking Dawn is used in such a way that no other book could compete. Over the past fews years, I have read a few other vampire-fantasy book series and none have impressed me the way the Twilight series has. Nothing about this book can be applied to real life because vampires and werewolves that change between human and animal do not exist. The fantasy aspect of this book is what keeps readers interested and spreading the word on the series. My third and final favorite book was Trafficked. This book comes in at my third favorite because it is scary how manipulative and evil people really can be. Although this book was not based on a true story, it also dealt with true life events that happen all around the world to innocent girls AND boys. I loved how real the book was but at the same time I was frightened and ashamed of how human beings act. This book was not as easy to read because it did not stay in one spot. Sometimes Hannah would have flashbacks and sometimes it would be her real life experience as it was going on. All in all, these three books were perfect to read. They each involved so much detail that it made writing blogs easy. I would recommend these three books to everyone, because just because they are "girly," they can really interest any gender.

Comparing Hannah and Hannah

To the eye, there is not much in common between the two books 13 Reasons Why and Trafficked. Thirteen Reasons Why is about a young girl who is caught up in high school and is bullied severely. Her bullying results in her suicide and the production of 13 tapes to those who contributed to her death. Trafficked is completely different. Trafficked is about a girl who dreams of getting out of her country to explore the wonderful opportunities that America has to offer. She does indeed follow her dreams and gets out and into the United States. Unfortunately, because of the evil in others, she lands herself in a bad position. She is put into a house with a family that is in touch with a man who handles sex or drug trafficking of young, vulnerable girls who are uneducated about the business. These girls are easy targets because they are willing to do whatever it takes to get citizenship in the United States. They are also unaware of the evil that awaits them. I could list countless ways that these books differ, but instead I will list the ways they are similar. Both books are about a young girl, around 15-17 years old, who face difficulties in their lives. Each girl is vulnerable and innocent to the evil that lurks around them. In a way, the two girls are alike. Hannah Baker (13RW) is a young girl who is just trying to find her place in high school and find out who she is. Hannah (Trafficked) is a young girl who is just trying to find her place in this world. She knows where she belongs and that is not in her home country. They are also alike because they each face terrible mistreatment of others. Hannah Baker is bullied by her classmates and adults in her town. She tries her best not to be in bad situation, but her innocence always seems to lead her down the wrong path because she is so naive. She tries to reach out, but no one will listen to her. In Trafficked, Hannah is also mistreated by the people she is around. The social worker she worked with to get into the United States mislead her and made her believe she would be taken care of and safe. Unfortunately for Hannah, this was not the case. She was lied to and manipulated into believing otherwise. If Hannah had known the situation she was getting into, she would not have gone through with it. Also, Hannah is mistreated by the family she is put with. She is treated like an animal instead of a human being. She is also abused by the pimp who handles her trafficking. All the while these girls differ more than they are similar, these reasons as to why they are similar are enough to draw the reader in. I loved how different they were but also loved how they could relate too. If either one were not mistreated, they would be happy individuals instead of unhappy or dead.

Trafficking post #3

What is happening in your book? How do you think it will pan out?

• The book I am reading is called Trafficked. It is about a young girl who leaves her country in search of new found freedom and happiness in America. When she first decides she wants to leave, she goes and talks to a social worker to get paper work done. After she gets this done, she is set and ready to go. The book starts out with Hannah waiting in line at the airport check in counter for passports and papers. She was very nervous because she had to play the part of a normal girl just looking to go somewhere else in her life. The social worker gave her a new name and identity of which she had to act out. She passed through successfully and was sent on her way to America. When she landed she looked for a while for someone holding a sign for her. She found a man who was seemingly normal. When the two finally got back to her host-house, she met his wife and two children, a boy and a girl. The mother of the family was rude to her from the start for an unknown reason to Hannah. Eventually, as the story progresses little by little, Hannah is put into a hard place. The mother of the family is asking to see her papers. She wants to make sure her papers and folder are legitimate. Hannah is scared to death because she does not want them to find out that she lied to get access into the country. The mother never does stop being mean to Hannah, she only serves her minimal food and barely lets her be in the house. This is as far as I have gotten in the story. From here on, I believe that the story will really pick up. I think that Hannah is starting to get the idea that something is not right with this family. Hannah will be shipped off somewhere unbeknownst to her and the trafficking will begin. I think that Hannah will be stuck for while where she is at, but eventually will try to break free. I am hoping for a happy ending for Hannah, because no one deserves to be treated that way. 

Trafficked post #2

How do you relate to the text?

• This book tells the story of a young, teenage girl who seeks to leave her country to come to America for freedom and hopes of a better life. Unfortunately, this girl is placed in the wrong home.When she leaves her country, she is told that she will have nothing but positive experiences. This is not the case. She is placed in a family that plans to place her into human trafficking. She will be used and seen only as a sexual object, instead of as a human being with thoughts and feelings. She is lied to and manipulated. Hannah looked forward to having a new life. Teenage girls are often taken advantage of. Because they are right in the middle of being a child and being an adult, they are easily mislead and confused about many aspects of life. It is very easy for someone older to take advantage of a young girl because they look up to people who have been there done that. If, by mistake, like Hannah did, a teen girl looks up to the wrong person mistakenly, negative things will happen. Hannah believed and trusted her social worker, and her host family to help her on her journey to creating a better life. I relate to Hannah because I, myself, am a teenage girl. I know what it is like to feel lost and to look to someone else for help and protection. I also know what it is like to be mislead and manipulated by people you trusted whole-heartedly. Although I have never quite been in the same situation as Hannah is in, the general ideas are still the same. Hannah and myself have been vulnerable in tough situations that no one else wants to go through. I know what it feels like to what to be free and just want to live a happy life doing what you love. Like Hannah, everyone in the world hits speed bumps sometimes on the journey. I do not relate because I have never been trafficked, I have never left my country and gone to a different one, and I have learned never to trust strangers. 

Trafficked post #1

3. When are you surprised or confused? What does not fit? If something or someone does not

make sense, write about it.

• In the book I am reading, a young girl leaves her country to go to America to experience the freedom it has to offer. She leaves, knowing she will be staying with a host family while she tries to pay back the debt she owes for her trips. When I began to read this book, I was expecting it to be intense right away, this is not the case. The book begins with Hannah getting ready to embark on a journey for a better life in the United States. The story starts off slow because for a good 20 or so pages, she arrives at the US and goes home with the father of the host family. I am surprised to find out that the dad of the family is just a normal looking guy. Most time when you think of human trafficking, you think of grungy, creepy people. He seemed like an upstanding man from a middle class family. Later on, when Hannah arrives at the home, she meets the mom and the two children. The two children are weary of her at first, but then the young girl warms up and won't stop talking to Hannah. The mother seems unusually tough on Hannah. She treats her almost as a slave without feelings. As the story continues, Hannah begins to feel bad about her decision. She senses something is not right about the family. When she meets her hostdad's friend, she is only strengthened in this feeling. I am confused as to why they would make Hannah believe that she is going to be treated well in America if they only plan on selling her as a sexual object. Another thing that surprised me was why the mother seemed to be more worried about Hannah if he was acting like he controlled the show. The mother made harsh rules for Hannah, telling her she was not allowed in certain parts of the house to allowed to have a certain amount of food. It almost seems like she is the mastermind beneath the trafficking. I have not gotten far enough in the book to determine much. But what surprised/confused me the most was that the family that Hannah is staying with is so normal. How could a family involved with such an evil thing seem so casual and normal. 

Crouching tiger, hidden dragon

#6

In the movie, Shu Lien says to Jen, "promise me one thing, whatever path you take in life, be true to yourself." This is a very powerful statement. When the movie first starts out, Jen is shown as an innocent young girl who is capable of doing nothing wrong. As the movie continues, this view of her changes when she steals the Green Destiny. This is the very first time we see the evil she is capable of and that she has everyone fooled. We learn that she is actually a follower of Jade Fox, one of the biggest enemy's of Jen's family. As the movie nears it's end, a glimmer of hope appears in Jen as she realizes she belongs on the good side after many encounters with Li Mu Bai. When the movie ends, Li Mu Bai is dying because of the poison given byJade Fox. Jen realizes she needs to help and redeem herself so she goes out and tries to find an antidote but is too late. This scene is one of the most powerful in the whole story because it displays a change of character mentally, physically, and emotionally. When Shu Lien says this to Jen, she means that she wants her to go through her life doing what she knows is right. She wants her to follow her own heart instead of doing the wishes of others. She should not go through life wishing she could go back and change something because of regret. I do believe that Jen does followe through with this. After she hears this, she goes out and follows her heart. She goes back to find the love of her life and doesn't more evil. Her spirit is pure and rid of all evil Jade Fox influenced her with. She wants to right all the wrongs she has done to herself and to other people.

Breaking Dawn Post #3

*Do you relate to your book? If so, how? If not, why not? Would you recommend this book to a friend or fellow classmate?

- I both relate to this book and don't relate to this book. I relate because it is a story of a girl who falls inlove with the boy of her dreams and grows up and marries him and has a child. Every girl lives with the hopes of one day meeting the boy of her dreams and living the rest of their lives together. Bella is not your average teenage girl. She can be very awkward and tends to push people away. Being a teenage female, I can relate. I, myself, have a tendency to be a very awkward human being. I also can be moody and push the people that care about me away. Bella falls head over heels for Edward. She does everything she can to be with or around him. I relate to this because I know what it feels like to be head over heels for a boy. I do not relate because Bella and Edward are not your typical couple. The line between realistic and fantasy is crossed by a long shot. There is no way that a vampire can exist; nonetheless, fall inlove and bare children with a human woman. Unlike most girls, if I found out that someone I loved was a vampire, I would run as far away as possible. Why would you want a vampire as a boyfriend? I definitely would recommend this book and the rest of the series to others. This series acts as an escape to fantasy worlds for young women across the world. I have yet to meet someone that has not completely loved the Twilight series.

Breaking Dawn Post #2

*What was your favorite part of the book? What was your least favorite part? Did anything unexpected occur?

- My favorite part of the book Breaking Dawn was when Bella and Edward get married and eventually have their child. Their wedding is perfect, just as every girl wishes it to be. Edward and Bella are a favorite of mine on their own. Their love is definitely fairytale and imaginitive, but it interests the reader. Its the perfect fantasy; a handsome vampire and an innocent, awkward girl who fall inlove, get married and have a baby. In this book, they get married and have their child. What made me love this part so much was that it, again, went against the norms of society. Edward and Bella make love after their wedding. Unbeknownst to Bella, she ends up pregnant. This seems impossible because Edward is a vampire and should be incapable of producing offspring. As always, they defy all odds and Bella ends up pregnant. This scene is so emotional and makes the reader not want to put the book down. The marriage scene breaks into the romantic side of the reader, also causing them to veer away from putting down the book. My least favorite part of the book is all the drama between Jacob and Bella. I personally think that Jacob is so annoying and that he acts like hes a whiney female. He always seems to come in at the worst times and makes every situation worse. Something I did not expect to happen was Bella becoming pregnant. In the honeymoon seen, Edward shows his inhuman strength and other characteristics; therefore reinforcing the fact that he is not a human being. To be a vampire, you basically have to die. Dead people cannot reproduce. Its that simple. When she became pregnant, I was really surprised. Her pregnancy seemed to be the most painful, unappealing thing in the world. She was so sick and malnourished. When she survived giving birth to Renesmee, I was thrown for a loop. Then she was turned into a vampire, never to reproduce again.