My Feels After Finishing the Fault in Our Stars

I have an overabundance of obscure feelings right now. I find it very fascinating that the book is about teens battling with cancer instead of supernatural matters. The main character is not a Disney Princess, glamorous on the outside, or has the ability to exude a sense of beautiful tragedy through her affluent family. Hazel is a prosaic, yet extraordinary sixteen-year-old who falls in love with a handsome but problematic amputee who could not guarantee her a life long acquaintance. Augustus could, however, give her "a forever in the numbered days," which in all the ways surpasses the previous statement. What touches me the most about their love story is the simplicity within. "Okay" is their code of flirting, and an eye contact, a gesture, allows them to comprehend each other. They understand that they will die eventually, but they make the most out of their days, EVERY SINGLE DAY, even when Gus leads Issac to vandalize Monica's 1990 car (Love that scene, by the way). I also like Peter. Though  Peter is apparently the antagonist, he is portrayed very realistically. There is no unicorn or rainbow boo boo in the world. Though cruel, Peter's reaction is not entirely unexpected. Plus, he sounds like a messiah to me, as weird as it sounds. He carries Gus' last message to Hazel, and he him self represents a deprecated self after the death of a loved one. I love how the story ends, and I wouldn't change a bit of it if I were the author. Most importantly, the Fault in Our Stars teaches me to live with no regrets and to make the most out of every situation, even the desperate, hopeless ones. A fight without trying is a dead battle. Gus maybe in a better place now, analyzing the words of every being, but his heroism carries on. He is a martyr on a glorious battlefield. I love him too.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower Review Part 2

I finally finished the book!!! Hoorays! Forgive my lack of "flower knowledge," but I had to google what a wallflower is before starting to read the novel. According to google, "a wallflower is a shy or unpopular individual who doesn't socialize or participate in social events." The perk is the advantage of being something. I don't think I understood the meaning behind the title until the Christmas diary entry. The main character Charlie isn't a very talkative or popular person. He is truly a wallflower, for his mere visibility around his friends and family. He is never the center of attention. He is, however, the type of friend or family member that will be your support no matter what. And he is just so nice, so nice that I strongly believe people like this only exist in fictional stories.  At the Christmas party, only Sam and Patrick remember to give Charlie a present. Charlie, on the other hand, remembers to get everyone one, even if he isn't close to them. He is just so considerate; he puts his friends and family before him. How many 16-year-olds in this world can always do that for their loved ones? At least I know I can't. Towards the end of the novel, I wish Charlie tells Sam that he likes her. Not that this intrepid act will make a difference in their already friend zoned relationship, but I feel like it's the right thing to do. It's important for him to tell her that he likes her even if she can already tell. (Okay, fangirl is getting really emotional right now). Charlie buys a myriad of gifts for his friends throughout the novel, and his honest, pure, and sentimental character all make him my favorite fictional character to day.

A Scary Scary Sunday Not So Much Fun Day

Hello all! I woke up at eight this morning, which hasn't happened since my SAT class ended. Anyhow, I am surprised at how productive I've been today. First, I read the scary IB Lit Packet part 1. Let's just call it the house of usher, because that's much easier for me to type out. :) After that, I went to the library and continued my analysis homework for the story. I couldn't help but to think that Usher needs professional help. Wait no, everyone in literature needs help. Okay, maybe I need some help, too. The plot of the story is extremely vivid and haunting in its use of language. The main character Usher is a capricious, weak, and moody guy who is over-the- top superstitious with a surprisingly charismatic scent of nobility. His sister Lady Madeline is pure creepy. She reminds me so much of the employees at the Universal Studio Haunted House who, by the way, totally scared the living daylight out of me last year. To be honest, I'm very scared right now. AHHHH. No one should ever do lit homework at night. It's the easiest way to have a related nightmare at three in the morning. GOODBYE!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower Review Part 1

           A very good friend of mine recommended me a book- The Perks of Being a Wallflower a while back. When I first got the book, I was automatically attracted to it because Emma Watson was on the cover. Typical response of a Harry Potter fan. Anyway, in the beginning, the novel reminded me of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, for its style in diary form to tell the story. But unlike the wimpy kid series, the Perks opened up with Michael's death and a mysterious scent since the narrator Charlie said that all the names in the diary are made-up. I ended up loving the story, though. Charlie's character was especially intriguing; he described his first year in high school with such a genuine and refreshing voice. He was an empathic, sentimental, and loyal guy who could be described as a "wallflower", someone who didn't say much but was there all along. He was there, anywhere, watching, observing, and protecting his friends, his family, and even strangers. It also shocked me how well the book portrayed the modern American culture. The parties, drinking habits, school worries, grades, sexual orientation, and popularity are all the problems that teens face nowadays. I love the book for its realism, for Charlie, for Patrick and Sam, and for the book's prosaic yet sentimental writing style. I'll try to update more once I finish the book!

And here is my favorite quote about Charlie by Patrick in the story: "You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand."

The Joy Luck Club

The Joy Luck Club is the first book that I have read for IB English I. Throughout the course of Lit & Comp 10, my teacher had already shown bits and pieces of the story. The book is about the mother & daughter relationship in four immigrant families with each character telling a story from her own perspective. The way the story is told reminds me of Seed Folks in ways; there are many short chapters in the book, and they all seem independent but relevant to the overall plot. The mothers describe their often arduous experiences, and those experiences usually result in the way they raise their daughters. It surprises me how the mothers' good intentions are usually carried out the wrong way and therefore caused fights and bickers with their daughters. The daughters, being raised the American way, have trouble to understand the good intentions, the Chinese humility, and why their mothers are the way they are. In the very end, though, all the daughters realize the importance of their mothers' words and their unspeakable influence on them. The Joy Luck Club is a book about clashes of cultural differences, acceptance of one's heritage, as well as the understanding of the profound and essential bond that exists between every mother and daughter. It's worth a read.

Despicable Me 2!!!

After a month of patient waiting, my friend and I finally watched the famous Despicable Me 2. To be honest, the first movie raised my expectation, so I wasn't expecting the second movie to be too good. I WAS WRONG. DEAD WRONG. I really like the second movie, better than the first one in some ways. Lucy Wilde, the new addition, is a superb character. Her role in the movie makes the whole production more interesting and different from the original Despicable Me. As always, the minions are adorable, always craving for their bananas and play time. Agnes still has her unicorn collections along with Edith and her ninja accoutrements. Margo is all grown up now; she even has a date! Of course in the end that guy cheated on her, but girl, you are too young for boys! Red Flag. El macho is like the villain in this movie. Actually, my favorite scene is probably the one where Gru described how El macho died the first time. It is rumored that El macho had dynamites wrapped around his body while riding a shark to the... Volcano. How dump can you be, El macho?  Though the way he died is fairly stupid, he is still a very entertaining character. El A
macho, his chest hair, and his secret salsa recipe all surprised me in good ways; well, maybe not the chest hair. Anyhow, I was so happy for Gru and Lucy when they finally got married in the end. Agnes' toast is the cutest.