Huh?

I must admit that I'm somewhat confused over the hoopla surrounding The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. It was very violent and frightening to look into the hearts and minds of these adolescents who seemed to work without a conscience (and the adults were sometimes worse).  The main character, Jerry Renault, stood for independence and going against the grain but the message at the end seemed to be that going against the tide only results in misery.  In fact, the entire tone of the book seemed to be that if you don't do what you're told, misfortune will certainly befall you.  Perhaps a secondary message is that the world is cruel and unfair and bad things happen.  However, I read books to get away from the sad realities of life (and I don't think the world is all that bad anyway).  This isn't to say that I don't enjoy "darker" books but there's usually some ray of light at the end.  I will say that it was very well-written (excepting some typos which may have been the fault of the printer) and a page-turner.  If you're prepared for an agonizing tale of woe and despair, this book will not disappoint.

I have no idea what to expect from the next title on the list: Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard.  From what I've gathered from the back of the book (and the commercials for the tv show), this book focuses on four girls who have a very dark secret.  There's cattiness, lewd behavior, mystery, and probably lingerie.  The copy that I'm reading from looks like someone washed it, ran over it with their car, and then bent every single page.  I'm taking this to mean that it's a popular book so maybe it will really knock my socks off.  I'll let you know just as soon as I'm done!

The race is on!

Just in the nick of time for class tomorrow, I've finished up The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A true story of adventure, heroism & treachery by Steve Sheinkin.  I love a good nonfiction especially on a person or topic of which I am almost wholly unfamiliar.  I went into this book with only a vague recollection of Arnold being a traitor.  When I mentioned the name to a history major his response was, "That traitor!  Wasn't he hanged?"  I think this is everyone's first thoughts on hearing this most infamous name but what I discovered through reading this book is that there was so much more to Benedict Arnold.  He created America's first naval fleet, he was an extremely brave soldier, and General Washington respected him as a friend and compatriot.  Also, he wasn't hanged.  If I've intrigued you even marginally about the life of a well-known yet almost completely unknown iconic figure from American history, check out this book.  My only caution to you is that at times the prose is slightly over-blown which I think mostly comes from the author's excitement over the book's subject.

Now that I have the syllabus for my course (this is the end!) I now know that I must scurry quickly to stay ahead.  The next book I'm tackling is The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier.  I have heard of this book for many years and I know that it is very popular among both teenagers and teachers.  The only thing that I know about this book is that a seemingly innocuous act by a boy causes such an hullabaloo among members of his school that war is declared.  My dear friend (and fellow avid reader), Krystle, told me that this book affords a glimpse inside the minds of boys.  I'm at once intrigued and absolutely terrified but I will sally forth!

I hope you're all taking advantage of the hot weather to sit somewhere cool and read to your heart's content!!