Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Summer Reading

Over the summer, you were asked to read at least two novels of your choice.

1) Briefly tell me what you read, including the titles and authors.
2) I want to know what you liked about the books, what you learned and, more importantly, what matters to you about the book's content? How does it resonate with you?
Please do not give me a summary; I care more about what you took away from the book.

*Make sure to adhere to proper conventions and proofread your response. If, for some reason, you did not read two novels, tell me about two novels you have read and enjoyed and answer the above.

23 comments:

  1. I read The Child Called It by Dave Pelzer, and Monster by Walter Dean Myers. For the Child Called It I honestly really like the way Dave use his words and the way he described his scenes in the book you could really feel the way the kid felt. And I relisted that sure i may have it "bad" but there is people out there that have it way worse then ill ever have it. It matters to me because it makes me think about how awful people can be and it makes me wonder what the hell goes on in peoples minds to even put you hand on your kid, its just sad. Monster is about a kid in Harlem that was apart of a stick up at a drugstore, and he is on trial for felony murder. And there was four people in this stick up and the court is trying to come up with a conclusion but every one is saying something different but the kid Steven says he was just a look out but the court dost believe him...

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  2. 1) Over the past summer, I read The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, and the Wayward Horseman.

    2) The Counte of Monte Cristo was probably one of the best books I have ever read. Usually, in most novels, the main character undergoes an emotional and social change. For instance, in the Harry Potter series, the main character starts out as an outcast and then becomes a highly respected member of society. The Count of Monte Cristo tells the tale of a young Edmond Dantes who is a poor sailor that loves his life. He has just been promised the position of captain on a merchant ship and is off to marry the girl he loves. Then, those who are jealous of him take it into their own hands to ruin his life. This story teaches a lot about revenge and hatred. Alexander Dumas masterfully constructed a tale that doesn't follow a generic plot. In most novels, when characters are given the decision to take revenge or not, they hesitate, and almost always spare the villain. spoiler: In this novel, however, Edmond has no trouble condemning those who did so to him. He knows that he has the capacity and influence to do almost anything, so he makes sure that the people who had him imprisoned, face his own brand of justice. This creates a much more serious and unpredictable tone for the novel. While reading it, I felt that Edmond's decisions were almost made very calmly and he never seems to experience the loss of control that seems to be standard for describing rage in novels. The Count of Monte Cristo was a refreshing look into European history and a great way to understand the thoughts of a very clever man. Through expert storytelling and a brilliant narrative, Alexandre Dumas shares his insight on the complicated and primitive topic of revenge. He asks readers what they would do if they were in the position to destroy the lives of those who ruined theirs.

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  3. 1.I read The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials, both by James Dashner.
    2.I liked both of the books for many reasons. There was a wide variety of characters, great character development, and interesting plots. What mattered to me about the book was mostly Thomas and his feelings. He really felt like a real person, with true feelings. He has friends that he really cares about, and I thought that was really important. When something bad would happen to him, I would feel bad, as well as feeling as feeling happy for him when something good happened to him. This made me feel very connected with him. Even when Thomas essentially gets betrayed in The Scorch Trials, I felt a feeling of betrayal. It's not just the main characters that I felt a connection with. When one of Thomas friends, Chuck, dies in The Maze Runner, I felt sad. I felt sad because it was almost as if I knew him personally. Overall, I think this is important because it made me realize how meaningful literature can feel if it is written well.

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  4. The two books I choose to read for our summer reading were Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid, and The Litigators by John Grisham. In Let’s Get Lost, I loved that the way the point of view was written. The reader experienced an in depth experience of each of the highlighted character’s thoughts and feelings. This allowed me to understand more fully what each character felt at a particular moment in the book. This book elaborated on the thought that you never know what someone else is undergoing. It went through characters that were all struggling in some way, though it wasn’t always apparent to others. It gave a sense of understanding when one character was dealing with something others knew nothing about. This book made me consider the situations I constantly find myself in where I have no clue what another person is going through. I loved the different perspective presented in the Litigators as well. It demonstrated what someone from a large law firm could experience in their time there. Through this book I was able to learn a little bit more about the context in which some large pharmaceutical lawsuits take place as far as litigators go. This book shows how many people feel trapped in their workplace environment. It made me consider what I would do in different scenarios as a future lawyer(hopefully). Both of these books gave the reader a thoughtful insight into the issues in our world when we refuse to admit that others have botherations in their daily lives as well.

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  5. 1. The two book that I have read over the summer was The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas by John Boyne, and The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.
    2. -What I liked the most in the book The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas what that is showed two different kids perspective during WWll, and how they realized that it doesn't matter what you look like or ware, you can still be friends. What I learned from this book is to never judge a book by it's cover, because the way you judge that person, could be the total opposite of who they really are. I also learned that I should be thankful for what I have and can do. How this book resonates to me because when I was reading this book, I put myself in that Jewish boy's shoes and can picture what he is going through, because I get judged allot too. Also, I really liked the format and text of this book because it was a short book with allot of information and story in it also it was so imaginable and descriptive.
    -What I liked most about the Graveyard book is that it shows the life of a boy who has lost his family, and is being raised in a graveyard by ghosts. What I learned from this book is to appreciate what you have in life because at any second, you can loose something very valuable and your whole life will change. How this book's content really caught my attention because of the way the author told the story. He was so detailed and creative, that when I was reading, it was like I was watching a movie. How this book resonate to me was when the bot lost his family, and had to adapt to a new environment, made me realize that I'm spoiled compared to this character. That is what I learned and loved about these two books.

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  6. Over the summer I read Transall Saga by Gary Paulsen as well as, The Art of Faking it by Jordan Sonnenblick. I enjoyed Transall Saga because it showed me how a young man was able to be put in a terrible situation and work his way through it without giving up. Furthermore I enjoyed The Art of Faking it because it showed me how sometimes you have to take a jump in order to succeed. This relates to me because I have been in difficult situations that have required me to step out of my comfort zone in order to succeed. Another reason why I enjoyed these books was the way the authors were able to grasp my attention as well as keep it throughout both books. In conclusion what I took away from both of these books is how to never give up and stay strong when times get tough.

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  7. 1.Over the summer I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Fallen by Lauren Kate.
    2.What I liked about Harry Potter was that as you read it, it felt like you were in their world experiencing the same things that they were. What I learned from the book was that if you have the right people with you you can get through anything. Throughout the book Harry is faced with many challenges but he always gets through them with Ron and Hermione by his side. I think that to some extent I can relate to Harry because when he starts at Hogwarts its a completely new life to where he was brought up and he has to learn all new things. What I liked about Fallen was the way the book was written. I liked how you got to know all of the characters and what they were like. What I learned from the book was that even when you are put in a bad situation not to give up. I think that many readers can relate to some of the problems faced by the main character Luce because in the book Luce is followed by shadows and I think that the shadows could represent peoples fear and how they are always there and can influence the way you live you life.

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  8. This summer I read two extraordinary books that I absolutely loved. The two books I read were, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before By Jenny Han and P.S. I Still Love You By Jenny Han. These books are a two book series. Right from the start the first page yanked me into the book and instantly, I was hooked. The book had passion, love, humor, and kept me on my toes. The book’s main character was named Lara Jean, a seventeen year old girl that is half-Korean and half-Caucasian. Her mom died when she was very young and now only has a dad. But she couldn’t make it without her sisters Margot and Kitty. Lara Jean Has been writing personal, secret love letters to all the boys she has loved but one day someone sends them out... This book grabbed my attention right from the beginning. Unlike most romance novels they are slow and hard to stick with at the beginning but this book was right in between, not too fast or too slow paced. Both of them continue the same story and are equally amazing. I loved that both books were so relatable and awe-inspiring. I learned what Lara Jean’s struggles were like to live life with only one parent. I loved that the content of these books were not sexual and inappropriate like most romance novels. It was sweet and enjoyable. I love that the author made the characters flawed and that resonates with me because in a book the characters don’t have to be perfect to make it a beautiful story, which that is hard to find. Generally speaking, both books made a great impression on me and I learned a lot.

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  9. Over the summer, I read more than two books, so here are two of my favorites. My favorite, was Red Rising by Pierce Brown, while a not so close second would be The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima. In Red Rising, the culture is a very extreme social Darwinism. Red people (they aren’t colored red, they are just classified as red) are basically slaves, while gold's rule the roost. The story is about a red who rises to be a gold with the goal of making society equal, and his experience. I liked how the book showed that even if you aren’t what you want to be, you can become it. In The Warrior Heir, the setting is similar to Red Rising. Wizards were having battles, where too many wizards were killed, so to decide who got the power they would train warriors who would fight each other to the death. When the book takes place, the process had been going on for hundreds of years, and warriors were almost extinct, while the main character was one of the last warriors left. I enjoyed how he and his supporters found a way to thwart the tournament, and then to change the rules of society back to normal.

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  10. Over this summer, I read “The Notebook”, by: Nicholas Sparks and “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”, by Ann Brashares. I enjoyed both books and finished them both in a short period of time from when I started them. Personally I love reading if it is an interesting and particularly descriptive and upbeat book. “The Notebook”, was an interesting, sad, and thrilling book. It was about a love story of two people and a common battle between a girl choosing between love and what the rest of the world wanted. After being in love for a summer, Allie and Noah got split up and had been apart for years but still wonder what has become of the other. Allie had a fiance who she later determined she loved but not like she loved Noah. In curiosity, and almost looking for a possibility, Allie travels to the town where Noah lives and shows up at his house. The next few days fly with colors and sparks and ultimately Allie chooses Noah over her lawyer fiance. The author mentions how they had kids and were married later in the book when it is a lot later in their lives. Allie has alzheimer's and Noah visits her, talks to her, and loves her everyday even when she will just forget the next day. He showed what it really is to love someone and how love can trump anything. “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”, was also a really great book. A small group of best friends that all have different summer plans experience there own adventures, romances, heartbreaks, and struggles. They all share a pair of pants that “magically” look perfect on all of them and they share the pants over the summer writing notes and leaving bits and pieces of their adventures on the pants. What I learned from this book is just how important friendship is.

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  11. Over this past summer I read "Peace Like a River" by Leif Enger and "Ender's Shadow" by Orson Scott Card. "Peace Like a River" was by far my favorite because of the flow of the book and all the incredibly colorful adjectives and figurative language that made you feel like a part of the book. While reading the book Leif Enger made it feel like you were reading poetry, it just flowed so beautifully and you felt like you could smell the hillside or feel the cold,brisk night. The story was about a boy named Reuben who's brother Davy shot 2 intruders in their house and was obviously sentenced to 10 years in prison for manslaughter. Davy then escapes and the whole story is about Reuben, his sister, and his father traveling across North Dakota to attempt to find Davy and it is all about their perseverance and faith in trying to find his long lost brother. I also read "Ender's Shadow" which is a great action packed thriller spin off of the popular "Ender's Game". This is based off of Bean the tiny genius who is Ender's second in command. This book makes you really think more of the society they live in vs our society right now. For example it made me wonder if children at age 8 could actually lead a country or be a commander in a war. In their society though they had to because they were the smartest battle commanders in the world and they had to promote and mature them as fast as possible to defeat the incoming "buggers". This is a good fast interesting read if you don't have anything else to read and are looking for a quick action packed story. This book taught me to appreciate our childhood because not everyone gets that privilege, some people even in other countries get married at my age or have to be doing manual labor or just doing things that people our age haven't even had to think about doing. These were a pair of extremely interesting books that I would recommend to anyone and I hope that they could find meaning from these beautiful stories.

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  12. Over the summer I read “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury, and “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” by JK Rowling. In “Fahrenheit 451” I enjoyed the dystopian atmosphere, and the unpredictable protagonist. I learned we need to be careful with our use of technology, and that we should not become absorbed in it. The book teaches the reader to experience life, and to take the time to look around you. I didn’t really like anything in “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.” It was just a pathetic money grab by JK Rowling because anything with the name Harry Potter on it will sell. The Harry Potter series was already concluded, and this book does not add anything valuable to it, and should be forgotten.

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  13. Over the summer I read the book Until Friday Night by Abbi Glines, which is about a girl that didn't talk and what happened threw her last year of high school.I also read Paper towns by John Green, which a girl leaves hints about where she is for the boy to find them and see where she went. In Until Friday Night I took away the fact that people assumed things, and for someone to know the whole story on something they need to give space and time, and ask when then time is right instead of asking constantly and assuming things. This matters to me because people don't know a lot of things about me and how it connects to what I do, and they start to assume things. I think people should just listen to others and ask when the time is right. With Paper Towns, I took the idea of how people are always there for you in there special way, but sometimes they just need to leave the memories behind and let them be. It really means to me for some people to understand that they need space, but know those types of people are out there for me to talk to. I really enjoyed reading these books during the summer, and learning what they really mean to me.

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  14. Over the summer I read "Anne Frank, The Dairy of a Young Girl" by Eleanor Roosevelt and "Faceless" by Alyssa Sheinmel. In "Anne Frank" I enjoyed reading it though someone else's eyes and not through an author. What I also enjoyed is that this took place in favorite topic in History. I enjoyed knowing that Anne Frank is telling the story through her diary and not someone thinking that all this happened through their point of view. What matters to me in this book is that a girl my age wanted her voice to be heard so she wrote in her diary thinking one day that she will be an author her self. What also matters to me is that Anne went through, hiding from the Nazis, and living in attic for almost two years, but she was always cheery, she wanted everybody to be happy. This taught me that in the toughest and craziest situation, is that we need to be happy and always look on positive side of things. In "Faceless" I enjoyed this book because it was kind of like "Anne Frank". The main character Maisie went through tough times too. I enjoyed this book because she fight her way to be normal after she was in an electrical fire. She thought she was never going to be normal again and that her friends will laugh at her. I enjoyed this book because it made me go through many emotions and I really like it when a book can make you go through many emotions. What matters to me in this book is that you have to be confident with your body because someone will love you for you. I relate to these book because teens go through so much in just a few years and all we have to do is stay positive through everything like these two girls in the book. We have to stay positive through everything because it will pay off in the future.

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  15. Over the too short summer, I read two beautiful novels. The first book I read was a realistic fiction book called "The Trouble With Goodbye" by Sarra Cannon. The second book challenged my thoughts to new limits, it was called "The Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell. The two books couldn't have be more different in style, but both had amazing morals. In the first book "The Trouble With Goodbye" the author Sara Cannon taught the reader to surround themselves with positive people that lift you up on your bad days. She shows this when the main character, Leigh Anne Davis breaks up with her wealthy boyfriend and branches out from her family, who were both negative outlets for her. When Leigh Anne branches out, she meets new people that lift her spirits. As I go through my four years at Arapahoe, I will keep an open mind to new friends and expand my ride or die circle of friendship. In the second book "The Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell, the main take away I got from the text is that because of my July birthday I have a situational disadvantage in life. Gladwell explained that all of life's fortunate events might not have been so coincidental as we think. Did you know that your birthday can dictate how many life opportunities you get? In hockey, if you have a birthday in January, February, or early March then study's show your chances of making it pro are almost double over everyone else. The age group cut off for hockey is January first.That places the kids with a birthday close the cut off are close to a year older then the kids they were grouped with. Which means three things they were taller, they are stronger, and they are bigger. Those three things make a good hockey player so when college or pro scouts look at them they automatically stand out. Even though I wasn't born in a convenient month, you can't always rely on coincidences. My takeaway from the two novels is perseverance, hard work, and a good support system that always has my back is key to success at Arapahoe High School and everywhere I go after that.

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  16. The two books I read over the summer were The Secrets We Keep by Trisha Leaver and The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer Smith. The Secrets We Keep is a realistic fiction novel about twins. They don’t agree much, but when a serious accident happens, one of them will never forget the decision she made. The Geography of You and Me is about how a city blackout brings two teens together and gives them a memory about a night they can never forget.
    What I liked about The Geography of You and Me was the description used. While both characters, Lucy and Owen, were traveling, I could picture everything in my mind. Paris, Pennsylvania, even the houses or hotels they’d lived at for a small amount of time. It was all so descriptive and helped contribute to the main events happening in the story. What I learned from this first book and what stayed with me after finishing the book was how life can change in just a second. Everything you know can become mixed up, scrambled, or affected from an action from another person or object. This was shown throughout the book as the main characters moved from place to place, trying to find the place they wanted to visit or live at. Lucy moves from New York to London because of her dad’s job, and when she comes back to visit New York, she doesn’t quite recognize everything in her small apartment. It seemed so different to her. Owen lived in a small Pennsylvania town, and when his mother died in a car accident, he and his father travel the country (U.S.) to find a new place that felt like home. If something comes up unexpectedly or if something changes all of a sudden, work with the change. Go with the flow rather than try to go back to the way things used to be. No matter the size of the possible damage done, you should accept it and move on.
    What I liked about The Secrets We Keep was the characters. They both had somewhat realistic issues and weren’t so alike I would confuse one for the other. It captured their daily lives perfectly, and the twin sisters had both good and bad qualities about them that made them seem extremely real to me. What I learned from this novel or what I took away from the book was to appreciate what you have. The family and friends around you are healthy and happy, you have a quality education, a bed to sleep on, clothes to wear, a roof above your head, everything you need to survive and more. This was shown in the book when the sisters get in an awful car accident because of an argument they’d been having and one of them is killed. The other takes the responsibility, and didn’t realize how much of a friend and supporter her sister had been until she was gone. Don’t ruin friendships because of a rumor, you might never be able to fix that. Don’t let a ridiculous fight come between you and your brother, you might never be able to mend the wound. Take care of what you have, because something simple could change it in an instant. Don’t take what you have for granted.
    Overall, what I take away from both books is to go along with the change that comes in your life. Don’t let it hold you back from an incredible future. Also, to know what you have before it is gone. Appreciate how amazing you have it right now in the present.

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  17. Over the summer, I read two fiction books called Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and The Enchantress: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany, was a sequel story to the original Harry Potter series. This book was originally a play, and was written in the form of a script for the play, which I thought was interesting to read and see how a play was turned into a book. However, unlike most plays there was character’s thoughts and emotions included also, not just what they physically said. I enjoyed the original Harry Potter books, and thought that this book was very interesting as it was based on the “what happened next” factor, with the main character as Albus Severus Potter, Harry Potter’s son. What I can take away from this book is to move on and not be stuck dwelling on what has happened in the past. I also read and learned more about what a bad and hard relationship with your parents looks like, and how hard life can be for some people. This makes me feel and understand how fortunate I am. Also, I read The Enchantress: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, by Michael Scott over the summer. As a fifth book in this series, I liked how this book was immediately filled with action until the very last page. The sorcery and historic fiction in this book kept me very interested as it was both educational and fantasy filled. I also thought it was extraordinary how the author, Michael Scott, managed to write 6 books with so many twists and turns that only happened in the course of about 10 days. This book focused and taught me about on family and friend relationships, and what you would sacrifice for both. Also I learned about historic people and moments. Overall, these books I read over the summer were great reads and taught me a lot.

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  18. Over the Summer I read the Book: "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams. Then I read: "The Martian" by .... I didn't learn anything from the books specifically but the books did teach me something together. The books generally taught me that anything is possible. Even though both of these books are Fiction books, "The Martian" is scientifically accurate and "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" is just an interesting read and provides a new perspective on life.

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  19. One book i read this summer was a true life novel called Half Broke Horse by Jeannette Walls. The one this I really liked about this is it's about horses! I obsess over anything horses because apparently i'm still a little girl! The other thing that i thought was really cool about the book was that it took place a long time ago. The reason i thought this was cool was because it was cool to me how things have changed. In the book the main character talks about when she saw the first car, and airplane. Also she talks about her parents reaction to indoor plumbing and also to the first light bulb. What i took away from this book was how things have changed. Today we have advanced technology and back then they traveled by horseback.

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  20. One book i read this summer was a true life novel called Half Broke Horse by Jeannette Walls. The one this I really liked about this is it's about horses! I obsess over anything horses because apparently i'm still a little girl! The other thing that i thought was really cool about the book was that it took place a long time ago. The reason i thought this was cool was because it was cool to me how things have changed. In the book the main character talks about when she saw the first car, and airplane. Also she talks about her parents reaction to indoor plumbing and also to the first light bulb. What i took away from this book was how things have changed. Today we have advanced technology and back then they traveled by horseback.

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  21. This summer I read multiple books, two of them being The Long Hard Road Out of Hell written by Marilyn Manson and Shutter Island, by Dennis Lehane.
    I have always been a huge fan of Marilyn Manson and his writing/lyrics and I love to find out more about different artists I am interested in, so I decided to read his autobiography. I can easily say that The Long Hard Road Out of Hell was one of the best books that I have ever read. This book included so much shocking information and stories that I wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else. Also, since it was written by Marilyn Manson himself it was really cool to recognize his personality within his writing and to see him more as a writer instead of a musician.
    The second book I read this summer was Shutter Island, by Dennis Lehane. What I liked most about this book was of course, the twist, and the stylistic writing. When you are reading it there is a certain tone as if it were written by some creepy man in the early 1900’s, much like The Twilight Zone. In addition to this I thought that the setting, plot, and characters all worked really well together to create a very dark, mysterious, and captivating novel.

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  22. This summer I read multiple books, two of them being The Long Hard Road Out of Hell written by Marilyn Manson and Shutter Island, by Dennis Lehane.
    I have always been a huge fan of Marilyn Manson and his writing/lyrics and I love to find out more about different artists I am interested in, so I decided to read his autobiography. I can easily say that The Long Hard Road Out of Hell was one of the best books that I have ever read. This book included so much shocking information and stories that I wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else. Also, since it was written by Marilyn Manson himself it was really cool to recognize his personality within his writing and to see him more as a writer instead of a musician.
    The second book I read this summer was Shutter Island, by Dennis Lehane. What I liked most about this book was of course, the twist, and the stylistic writing. When you are reading it there is a certain tone as if it were written by some creepy man in the early 1900’s, much like The Twilight Zone. In addition to this I thought that the setting, plot, and characters all worked really well together to create a very dark, mysterious, and captivating novel.

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  23. Over summer break, for my summer reading assignment, I decided to finish the series Divergent by Veronica Roth. Earlier in my 8th grade year I had read the first book Divergent and I decided that I wanted to finish the series. The two books to follow Divergent are Insurgent and Allegiant. I liked how the books presented different communities called factions and how different factions have different traits. The factions are Dauntless who are know for their bravery, Erudite who are very intelligent, the Amity who are peaceful, and Candor who are honest. I liked how they were able to create conflict between the factions using the traits that each faction posses, like the Erudite using their superior intellect to mind control other factions to go against any of their enemies. Although I did not like the other two books as much as the first, I was able to keep interest based on the conflicts that they were able to create between factions.

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