The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict Blog Post 3

The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict Blog Post 3

            Well, I’m sorry to say that I’m still reading The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict, but I think I’ll finish pretty soon, since I don’t have too many pages left. I decided to focus on a topic that I don’t really understand in the book, the contract Violet’s family has with the mining company. Everything was going fine, until the mining company’s drill got stuck in an accident, and then they decided not to touch the drill to damage it. Since they couldn’t touch the drill, no progress was made, and no money was given to Violet’s family. The contract lasted five years, and expires in a week. Since Violet wanted her family to gain money, she tried to rescue the drill, and when she couldn’t, she protected it. Now, Violet thinks that meeting Nicholas and John is fate, because of the timing, and them hopefully finding the treasure before the contract expires. I decided to think of a reason why Violet would think this.

            Violet’s family is struggling financially, and Violet is mad at the mining company for “using” Violet’s family and making them lose money. I think that if the drill was damaged then the mining company would have to permanently have to stop mining on Violet’s land, and they said they should protect it so that in the future they could eventually continue drilling. I remember Violet saying that she was naïve when she was younger and actually believed the mining company. I think she wanted to protect the drill so that the company could someday continue drilling and her family could get more money, and she said she was naïve because she actually believed the mining company’s “lies”.

            However, I don’t understand how finding the treasure would help her family. The kids aren’t even sure what the treasure is, much less where it is and how to find it. Also, the mining company’s contract will end next week whether the find the treasure or not. Maybe Violet thinks that if she finds the treasure it will balance out the money her family lost in the mining deal, and she’ll be able to support her family and go to art school.

            I think the author is trying to involve very complex plot lines, but he’s not doing a very good job of balancing out explanation and details. As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, he includes many unnecessary details that don’t benefit the story. I think that the author should include more explanation on complicated plot lines and exclude all the unnecessary details.

Kim: Empty Inside: The Diary of an Anonymous Teenager Blog Post

Kim: Empty Inside: The Diary of an Anonymous Teenager Blog Post

            I have recently started reading K.E.I.T.D.A.T., and I regret to say that I think it’s horribly written and that it’s not a good book. I understand that Beatrice Sparks wants to show how Kim interprets her own life so that readers can better connect to the book, but I think she took it a bit overboard while trying to make a big issue seem less extreme by showing it through the victim, Kim’s, point of view.

            K.E.I.T.D.A.T. is mainly about how the main character, Kim, has an eating disorder, and how it affects her life. Beatrice Sparks, the author, writes it through Kim’s perspective. I think that Sparks is trying to show how many teenagers are suffering through eating disorders, and how even a normal teen such as Kim, can have problems just like anyone else. I have a problem with this, because while there are many people suffering with eating disorders, they either know it’s a problem and don’t know how to stop, or don’t think they have a problem. Kim thinks she’s doing a stupid thing, with no logic behind it. I honestly don’t think that anyone with an eating disorder thinks they’re doing something stupid, and I don’t think Sparks is intentionally trying to do this, but she’s giving me the impression that people with eating disorders are unintelligent, or doing unintelligent things, which is false.

            K.E.I.T.D.A.T. is written in the point of view of Kim, through her diary. There are many grammar mistakes, she often changes subjects, and writes in capitals for no reason. I think it’s great that Sparks is trying to get readers to better connect with the book, and the character by writing through her opinion. However, I don’t think it’s good that she writes so immaturely to make it clear that it’s Kim’s writing. Teenagers can definitely write in a professional style, and even in their diaries, they can still stay consistent with their topics, and make no grammar mistakes. I think Sparks missed her target on this aspect of her writing.

            In conclusion, K.E.I.T.D.A.T. could definitely be written much better. It’s not a terrible book, but it isn’t perfect. I think Sparks had good intentions for this book, but was just not able to incorporate her goals for this book successfully.

Pretty Little Liars #11 Blog Post

       

                                                      Pretty Little Liars #11 Blog Post

            I’m currently reading Pretty Little Liars #10, and I’ve just ended at chapter 22, where Emily is with Isaac at the ice cream shop and see’s a hooded figure outside. I personally disliked the ending to this chapter and would’ve chosen to re-write it in a way that Emily gets to tell Isaac about Violet, or start to, and end the chapter there. I’d write it this way because I think all this back and forth over, Will Emily tell Isaac about Violet? Won’t she? Why does she keep waiting? Is just getting old.

            A lot of chapters in the Pretty Little Liars books tend to end with one of the girls seeing someone or something suspicious but not getting a good look at it. Yes, this adds to the suspense, however it becomes repetitive after a while. I think this isn’t a good way to end a chapter in my opinion, because between the same girls chapter (Emily for example) you have all the other girls stories, and by the time you get back to the character, you often seem to forget what happened at the end of their last chapter. To keep to story running smoothly, I’d stick with a message of some sort from A to the girls, or with a thrilling chapter climax as the finale of each chapter to keep the reader on the edge of their seat.

            Emily keeps trying to “get out” of telling Isaac about Violet, her baby. At first, Isaac’s mom interrupted their conversation, and afterwards, she saw the hooded figure and the chapter abruptly came to an end there. Yes, she keeps being interrupted, which is only adding to her nervousness, and not helping her, but I think she should get it over with before the Mr. Marin’s campaign party, since Isaac might change his mind about asking her to go. I would’ve told Isaac about the baby at the very latest, right after he invited Emily to Mr. Marin’s campaign party, so as to let him go back on his invitation. By not telling Isaac, Emily is getting more and more nervous, which is hurting her, hurting Isaac by not telling him about his child, and possibly hurting the child. If she told Isaac, perhaps he could have helped try to find Violet and ensure Gayle wouldn’t harm or take her away from the Bakers.

            Furthermore, I believe Emily is making a foolish decision by post-poning her confrontation about the baby to Isaac, for she’s hurting herself, Isaac, and possibly Violet, and I think Sarah Shepard is making foolish decisions by abruptly ending her chapters with predictable finales.