Ark Angel-Connections

I have been reading Ark Angel by Anthony Horowitz and I really like it. I am about 70 pages into it but it's a fast-pace book so many things have happened in those 70 pages. So far in the book, I have already noticed several connections in the book. I feel that there are connections in the book that relate to both myself and the real world.
Connection to myself
I felt a connection in this book between Alex Rider, the main character, and myself. Well, first of all, Alex is always thinking on his feet. When he has problems, he always creates out-of-the-box solutions. I feel that this "creative thinking" that Alex Rider has is also a part of my own skill set. When Alex is tightly locked in a room on the seventh floor of a burning building, he doesn't waste any time in escaping. The first thing he does is he studies the room. After studying the room he concludes that since the building is a very old building the frame must be rather weak. So, he starts walking around the room trying to find a weak spot in either the walls or the ceilings. After a while(under the pressure of smoke filling the room quickly), Alex finds that there is a soft spot in the ceiling. Coughing from the smoke, Alex reaches his hand and punches a hole in the ceiling. He then cupped his hands, grabbed on the ceiling, and brought himself up. He was above the room. He crawled several feet then slammed his foot down to the other side of the room. He then maneuvered himself out of the burning building just in time. It's both Alex's creativity and never give up attitude that allowed him to survive. I think that I show the creativity and attitude that Alex shows whenever I play sports. If something doesn't go my way(and it's almost impossible for EVERYTHING to go your way), I can always battle through it and end up in the win column.
Connection to the real world
Apart from the personal connections I share with Ark Angel, I think there is a real world connection demonstrated in the book. In the book, there is a "terrorist" group called Force Three. They get their name from the fact that the Earth is the third planet from the sun. This "terrorist" group has strange intentions however. Force Three has very radical and extreme thinking. Their goal is to stop polluting and preserve Earth's natural beauty. However, they will do anything to achieve their goal. They kill rich businessmen who make their money from oil drilling, they kidnap children and ask the parents for money in order for safe return, and they will terminate anyone that gets in their way. They are "ECO-freaks". Their leader, Kaspar, even has the entire world tattooed on his head and face. So, even though Force Three has good intentions, they seem to ignore their values whenever they're killing and kidnapping people. I think that Force Three connects with some terrorist groups throughout history. Their intentions are often,"Make the human race a better one," or "make the world a stronger place." Which in their own minds sound good. However, the way they plan to do so is usually extreme, violent, and puzzling when considering what their goal is. So, Force Three, like some terrorist groups have very contradicting goals and ways to achieve those goals.

   

Half Brother (redo) (comparison)

This week I started reading Half Brother by Kennneth Oppel. So far it looks like an appealing story. It's about Ben Tomlin who is 13 years old. Hes like basically every teenager. He likes reading popular mechanics. In the first couple chapters, Ben explains how he is moving to the other side of Canada  His parents are behavioral scientists. His mom is on a trip currently bringing back a baby chimp for her research. 
In reading the first few chapters, I had already connected to  the main character, Ben Tomlin. We relate in a lot of ways. He is in to Technology, his mom works a lot, and  he doesn't like change.
First Ben is moving to Canada  He doesn't want to leave his friends and doesn't want to go to a new place because he likes where he is. That's exactly how I felt when I moved to Buffalo. I didn't want to leave my friends and have to adjust to a new place.
Ben's mom brings home a chimp,Zan, who ends up taking all the attention of the parents. Ben, not liking change, does not like Zan.  I connect with Ben because we both have a similar mind set and hate change.

A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks (redo)

        I recently began the read the novel A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks. I am just at the beginning of the novel, but I can already connect it to another story I have read called The Notebook, also written by Nicholas Sparks. The two novels both share similar themes.
       The main theme both novels share is that love can overcome anything. In A Walk to Remember, Jamie and Landon are two very different people. Landon a bad boy, who cannot stay out of trouble, while Jamie is very religious and smart, with a bible always in hand. Landon was very confident into taking Jamie to the homecoming dance and getting to know her. As well as reading A Walk to Remember, I have also seen the movie. I know that Jamie eventually gets diagnosed with leukemia, but Landon does all he can to keep their love alive.
        A Walk to Remember shares a connection to The Notebook, because they both share the same genre as romance and still the theme that love can overcome anything. Ally and Noah stayed in love with years of  not seeing each other. They made distance work into their relationship. No matter how many setbacks the two faced, their love always brought them back together.
       Both stories share a similar theme. No matter how many obstacles each couple faced, they still loved each other.
      I am really enjoying A Walk to Remember so far. The book started off slow, but the plot eventually got more and more interesting. I am hoping the book i
s just as good as the movie. I recommend this novel to those interested in romance and drama. So far, I rate this book an 8/10.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson (re-do)

This week I started reading the book Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan. I haven't gotten very far in the story yet but so far I am really enjoying it.  It challenges me as a reader but at the same time is a great and beautiful book.
The novel follows two boys who share the same name-Will Grayson.  The first Will Grayson is describes as trying to live a life without being noticed.  This is difficult, however, considering the fact that his best friend is Tiny Cooper. Tiny Cooper is described as "the world's largest person who is really, really gay." Therefore, Tiny makes it very hard for Will to fit it with the other kids at the school.  Will wishes to fit in.  Will doesn't want to be known as the kid who doesn't have any friends.  I don't want to be known as that person either.  When I first came to Williamsville East I was afraid I wouldn't make any friends.  Since I was coming from a different school than everyone else, I was scared that I wouldn't fit in.  Like Will, I too have always wanted to fit in--we all do.  Nobody wants to be alone. Will Will ever fit in or will Tiny stand in the way of that?  Will Tiny and Will continue to be friends?
The other Will  Grayson goes through his life without anything good to hold onto besides an online friendship with someone named Issac.  Will feels as if he can trust Issac with anything.  Issac is Will's only close friend.  There is only one problem however, Issac lives in Ohio and Will lives in Chicago.  Like Will, I too have a friend that lives far away.  She was one of my closest friends but sadly, she moved away.  I felt like I could trust her with anything. Will and Issac have never actually met however.  Will is intent on meeting Issac and will do whatever it takes to see him.  Will Issac and Will meet?  Will Issac be who Will expects him to be?  You'll have to read Will Grayson, Will Grayson to find out!
I am really enjoying this book so far.  John Green and David Levithan are amazing writers and I love their books.  Will Grayson, Will Grayson is one of my favorite books by them so far and i'm excited to see what else this book has in store.  I definitely recommend this book to students who like to be challenged as readers. 

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

I just finished reading Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. It was one of the best books I have ever read. I rate it a 10 out of 10. The author, Stephenie Meyer, wrote this book that sets the mood of the book. I would reccomend this book to anyone who likes fantasy and romance. This book is not just a book for teenagers, it can also be a book an adult would read. Throughout the whole book, i questioned whether or not Edward would tell Bella his secret. I wondered what her reaction would be and how the circumstances would change if she knew. Does Edward tell Bella his secret? The book and the movie are alike in more ways than one. The book and the movie give off a mood. The mood is somewhat dark and cold. I prefer reading the book rather than watching the movie.

Half Brother

This week I started reading Half Brother by Kennneth Oppel. So far it looks like an appealing story. It's about Ben Tomlin whoi is 13 years old. Hes like basically every teenager. He llikes reading popular mechanics. In thwe first couple chapters, Ben explains how he is moving to the other side of canada. His parents are behavioral scientists. His mom is on a trip curently bringing back a baby chimp for her research.
This book is pretty good so far and I'm looking forward to reading more.

The Dead Zone by Stephen King

                     I have recently started reading Stephen King's novel The Dead Zone. King's book is about a kid named Johnny Smith who can predict how people are going to die. Unfortunately, so far, Johnny has only done this once, and he can't predict who is going to die or when he or she is going to die; therefore, Johnny does not know the very crucial details of these deadly situations. This feeling of unknowingness is very common in most people in reality too. This similarity connects King's book to the real world.
                     There are many everyday situations that contain feelings of unknowingness. No can know everything that will happen to them and their environment. Whether it be if you will die or if it will rain, everyone has experienced this feeling. I experience this feeling whenever I take tests. This feeling of unknowingness mixes with nervous feelings and a small amount of fear. I become nervous because I don't know if I have prepared enough for the test I am taking. The fear involved in this situation includes me fearing a failing grade and the consequences that will come with it. I used this example to show how little things involve feelings of unknowingness. This is very different from Johnny in King's novel. Johnny's feelings of unknowingness can cause big consequences. In the story, Johnny gets hit by an older boy playing hockey while he was skating backwards. He landed hard and started saying "The explosion, the acid", when he was unconscious. About a month later, Chuck Spier, a man who was at the ice rink with Johnny, had to jump start his farm truck. When he tried, the battery of his truck exploded, spraying him with corrosive battery acid. He lost sight in one of his eyes. This situation was more serious than the situation that I experienced.
                    It is very important that people do not become consumed by feelings of unknowingness. Sometimes, I become consumed when I take tests. This is bad because it causes unneccessary stress and makes the effects of unknowingness worse. If I am really stressed, my test grade will suffer. This applies to life too. If someone becomes very stressed out because of their feelings of unknowingness, they can emotionally and physically harm themselves. In worst cases, this surplus of stress can lead to drug use and even suicide. Hopefully, people will not let the unknown harm them.
                  All in all, I find this book to be very interesting. I like how Stephen King uses unknowingness in a serious and shocking way. I especially like the predicting how people are going to die concept. I think it adds a creepy feeling to the book. So far I would give this book four stars. I would recommend it to anyone who likes scary events and suspense.