free choice

     13 Reasons why is so far a really great book. It brings up a lot of suspense. I have just a couple more chapters to read. Clay has two more tapes to listen to. Part of me is wondering if maybe one of Hannah’s family members is on the tape. But then again I think that Hannah wouldn’t do that because she wouldn’t want her parents or someone in her family knowing what all happened. From what I understand, Hannah’s family thinks that her death was an accident, not a suicide. I don’t quite understand why Hannah wanted to kill herself over these things; they were just little bumps in her path. When I think about it, I don’t think that Hannah really had any friends. She never opened up to people or hung out with anyone. And it seems like her parents always grounded her. She never really had time for a social life. It was a book that just seemed to appeal to a select audience and it seems to take the right person to enjoy it. If I had rewrote it, I would probably make it appeal to a lot more people, it’s that great of a book. I don’t know what the author was thinking while writing the book, but the suspense makes me wonder if the author was in a dark place at the time. Maybe they were just wanting to write something that was good and appealing to people.

praise or critisism

    Clay is one of the main characters of Thireteen Reasons Why.  Part of me believes Clay deserves some praise, but then again he deserves some criticism. I do not think he has anything to do with  Hannahs death, but he is on the tapes for walking out on her when she needed someone the most.  Then again,how was he suppose to know that Hannah felt this way?  He deserves praise for being with Hannah and being good to her. It is pretty obvious that both of them felt something for one anothe, and it is clear that Clay is a good kid with a warm heart, and cars about other people.. not just himself. I think that if Hannah never killed herself that these two would eventually be together. Obviously Clay cared about Hannah and also about people on the tapes. He gets sick a couple of times, and he cries. Throughout the whole novel he clearly shows his feelings and emotions. It is kind of sad if you put yourself in his shoes and read this book. Part of me believes that these tapes will help those on them and change them for the good. Some of tese people definitly deserve to be on these tapes.

Dear Clay

Dear Clay,

     I do agree that you shouldn't have walked out on Hannah that night at the party. Maybe you could've been the one that saved her. But you cant not blame yourself for her death. You had nothing to do with it. I don't understand half of the reasons why Hannah killed herself, but you and her both would have been great for each other. There is no way to bring her back, and there is no way that anyone knew that she was heading down this path. She was clearly having a rough patch in her life, but you were one of the good things for her. So stop blaming yourself. I agree that it is rather sickening that people would do these kinds of things. Especially in High School. Bullying always puts others in a bad position. You never bullied Hannah or hurt her. She needed some one like you to help her.
Part of me thinks that all this would have been stopped if Hannah just talked to some one or asked for help. It is never hard to get help or counseling. And I think that Hannah making these tapes and making sure they get passed on, will help these people realize what their words and actions do to others, and how it affects others. Hopefully it affects them more then it has affected you. I know it will be hard for you to be happy after hearing these tapes, but you should try to not let it get to you as much. You are not the reason Hannah is gone and that is not going to change.

Sincerely,
Emilly

Dear Hannah

Dear Hannah Baker,


     I am so sorry things had to turn out this way. You thought that no one cared about you, that no one would care if you were gone, but they did. Everyone was upset when you left, Especially Clay. What did Clay have to do with your suicide? It’s driving me nuts! Where is he on the list and why? I understand why you would be upset about all these incidents but none of them were good reasons to take your life. You left behind your family who loves you, and you left behind friends that loved you, they all cared about you weather you thought so or not.

            Hannah everyone loved your hair cut, they all thought you were beautiful. I can only imagine what it felt like when you found out about the peeping tom. That must have made you feel insecure and unsafe in your own home. Why would someone do such a thing? I wish I knew you Hannah, I feel like you would have made a great friend.

Sincerely,

Emilly

Thirteen reasons why

         The next novel I am about to start reading is Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. This novel is about a girl, Hannah Baker, who commits suicide and makes thirteen tapes to explain to people why she committed suicide. Each person who receives a tape must listen to them and pass them on. When playing the tapes, you hear Hannah’s voice, and her reasoning for what she did and how these people had something to do with her death. Just by reading the back of the novel, I can conclude that the story is going to be riveting, and that it will express a lot of feelings on Hannah’s behalf and most likely on the others who will be receiving the tapes. I am extremely looking forward to reading this novel and I hope it takes me on a journey through Hannah’s’ life. The main reason I want to read on in the book is to see what reasons she gives these people and if I believe them to be good reasons. I want to know why this girl killed herself and what terrible things people had to have done to make this happen, to let something like this happen. If this were a true story I guarantee it would be really hard and depressing for the ones who receive the tapes due to the fact that they are the ones being blamed by the girl who killed herself. Like i say about most books... this better be good.

Feelings

We are coming to the end of reading the novel Hate List by Jennifer Brown and I am very excited to find out how the author choices to conclude the story. Many emotions were stirred up inside me when reading some sections of this story. Every time I read one of the news reports I would picture the scenario and think about how that stupid felt of how it affected the family. Whenever Valerie expressed her feelings about her mother I thought about my mother and how they were related or if they were related. Other times, if Valerie was feeling sad, I would feel sad. If something good happened in the story, it would make me happy. When Valerie found out that her father was having an affair with his secretary, I put myself in her shoes. How did that make her feel? How would I feel if I got news like that?  I felt like every feeling each character was expressing or feeling at the time, is the same way I felt while reading. I was in shock and disbelief when I found out that Val’s father was having an affair. Part of me wonders if her mom knows, or if Val is going to tell her. It is expressed in the book that Valerie has a creative side, so when she found Mrs. Beas place I thought of it as a good opportunity to express that creative side and also get away from her house and school.

To Valerie

Dear Valerie,
Sometimes I wonder if everyone is blaming you for everything. Not Nick, but you. Part of me thinks that this kid Jeremy had something to do with the shooting. You had no way to see this coming. To you it was all a joke, a way to let off some steam at the end of the day. Right? How did it feel for you when you stopped sticking up for Nick and started sticking up for yourself?  You should stop blaming yourself for what happened. Your friends shouldn’t hate you for what happened. You weren’t the one with the gun. I understand where your mother is coming from, being all protective and all, but sometimes she can over exaggerate. I can definitely relate to that because my mother is the exact same way sometimes! I think you are doing a good job at holding yourself together. Maybe you should try making friends again, not everyone hates you. No one should hate you! I am very sorry you had to go through such a terrible thing. I can’t even imagine how I would feel if something like that happened to me. I don’t even know how I would act or what to think. I bet it was a very difficult time in your life. I was extremely happy when they said you were no longer a suspect. I hope things brighten up for you! I’m sure they will J


Sincerely

Emilly

The title



It is a little hard to explain the significance of the title Hate List, because the title itself pretty much explains it all. In the story Valerie starts a hate list on her own about all the things she hates. Things like her mother and father always fighting, how people are always picking on her. The notebook was basically just a way for her to vent. When her boyfriend Nick asks about it, he decides to make it THEIR hate list. A hate list of all the people they hate at school. That is when almost every person from school gets their name put into this notebook. Valerie does not see it coming, but Nick is serious about this hate list. He becomes distant and strange, especially at school. The hate list itself is a key part in the story because it has a lot to do with who Nick shoots, Nicks and Valerie’s so called “plan”, and a lot to do with the investigation that is underway. So obviously by looking at the tile of the novel you would most likely automatically assume that the story has something to do with, (drum roll) a hate list. But what I have read so far is very interesting and action filled and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the novel.

The Hate List by Jennifer Brown

This story is about a girl named Valerie and her boyfriend Nick who make a list of people and things that they hate. Nick used the list to pick his targets for the shooting, killing several, shooting his girlfriend, and then killing himself. After this whole incident and a summer of seclusion Valerie goes back to school to move on with her life. In the beginning of the novel I came to the conclusion that to Valerie the hate list was just a game, but nick always seemed serious about what he wrote in the notebook. Valerie had no whereabouts of the events that were about to take place that morning her boyfriend shot up the school cafeteria. By my readings, Nick acting out in this way could be him just saying he is sick of being picked on, sick of the snobby people who brag all the time and basically sick of school all together. Judging by what I have read so far, I believe that at the end of the novel Valerie will end up telling everyone the truth and explain her part of the story and maybe about how her boyfriend was acting strange and distant the morning of the shootings. If anyone had future knowledge of the event, it probably could’ve been stopped. I am highly looking forward to reading the rest of the novel and getting to the conclusion that the author has set out for us.

in school vs out of school reading

Everyone prefers to read in a quiet area where they can focus on their book or the newspaper. Instantly I could tell from the first couple of pages, or from the description on the back of the book if I would be interested in the rest of the book. In most cases I have sought for my bedroom to read a book. Other times I just deal with my surroundings and work with the environment. If I am very interested in a book I am reading I will just simply tune everyone out until I decide I want to stop at a certain paragraph or chapter. It really bugs others when they realize that i am way to into a book to even comprehend what they are saying.  Most likely Outside of school, though both are easy for me to accomplish; I would rather read in a comfortable, quiet place rather than of a place with people or noise. There would be times where I had multiple books at once and read two in one night, just curled up in my bed and read all these books.On the other hand reading in school is also the same in  the fact that there are places and times in school where someone can seek refuge and quietly read a book; sneak off to the library, after a test, during study periods. But also there are times where there is nothing BUT noise surrounding me. Always people talking or working on assignments together, and I'm sure you don't want to read while the teacher is talking. In most cases I am highly sure that the majority of people would argue that reading is best if your doing it at home where you can be in a familiar, comfortable area without worrying about the same distractions you get at school or in the work area. That would most likely be my choice too. The only problem with that is sometimes when the surroundings are too comfortable or if I read too long there is a high chance that I would fall asleep. Out of school reading is definitely the best choice.