Beautiful Disaster

     

   Beautiful Disaster 

    by Jamie McGuire

      The novel that i have chosen for this month’s book review is entitled Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire. For a quick introduction, this book is about a nice, polite girl named Abby Abernathy. As i continue reading this book, i discover that Abby isn't so perfect after all. She had gone through the worst childhood. Her past was a misery that she could never forget. She was raised by a drunk father that gambles a lot. She was determined she is going to have a new drama-less and problem-free life. When Travis Maddox, a guy covered in tattoos came into her life, Abby knew she need to stay away from him.

     The event that i find interesting in this novel is when Travis first laid eyes on her. Abby went to one of Travis’s fight with America and Shep. Travis won the fight by crashing his elbow straight into the centre of Marek(his challenger)’s face and the blood sprayed onto Abby’s face and splattered down her cardigan. She was then pushed by those who are coming and going and she was still in shock by the trail of red from her chest to her waist. In a split second, she saw a pair of heavy black boots in front of her: his jeans was splatter with blood, he has a set of finely chiseled abs, a bare, tattooed chest drenched in sweat and a pair of warm brown eyes. She was shoved from behind and the guy in front her caught her arms before she fell, he was Travis Maddox. 

      The reason why i think this is the most interesting event is because, in the second book, Abby was playing a game with America. America asked her “When did Travis know you were the one?” Abby answered, “The first poker night at Travis’ dad’s” and she got it wrong. The answer was, as what was said by America(It was Travis’ answers) “When he realized he wasn't good enough for you which was the moment he saw you”. Travis fell in love with her when he saw her looking helpless with her cardigan covered in blood. Other than that, Travis gave her the nickname “Pigeon” when he first saw her, he said “Sorry about that, Pigeon”. 

“You are like a Pigeon," he said defensively. "It's a dove, an attractive girl, a winning card in poker, take your pick. You're my Pigeon.”

Jasmine

4 cergas

The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

The chosen book for this month is The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. This amazing book was written by author C.S. Lewis. It is considered a classic of children's literature and the author's best- known work. Not only it is a great book, it is also a great movie.

The most interesting event in this book is when Lucy found the wardrobe to a different world called Narnia. Lucy climbs into the wardrobe to discover a magical forest in a land called Narnia while her other siblings, Peter, Susan and Edmund explore the house. At a lamp post, she met Mr Tumnus, whom she later found out that he is a faun. Lucy accepts his offer to have tea with him while he told her about the White Witch. The witch had ruled Narnia for years and during her reign had used evil magic to make it always the same season ; winter. As Mr Tumnus explais, it is "always Winter, but never Christmas". He then escorts Lucy back to the lamp post. 

When Lucy returns through the wardrobe, she discovered it has only been a few seconds she was gone in the real world. Therefore her siblings did not believe her story about there being another world in the wardrobe. Lucy later returns to Narnia again when playing a game of hide and seek with her siblings. Despite her siblings' refusal to believe her story, they soon entered the wardrobe together to behold the magical land just before their eyes.

Hani Nadhirah

4 Cergas 

Never Look Away - Linwood Barclay

The book I have read for this month is 'Never Look Away' by the Canadian novelist, Linwood Barclay. A theme park family outing had led to the disappearance of Jan Richler, wife of David Harwood. Worst of all, no evidence could show that she was ever in the park and now police are suspecting Dave as the murderer of his wife. With a child in the picture, Dave must find ways to declare his innocence without putting his family in as much jeopoardy as his wife did to him. In true honesty, Dave should have never looked away.

The story was loaded with interesting events. However the biggest one would be the confrontation between Jan Richler and David Harwood. Or should I say the confrontation between Constance Tattinger and David Harwood ; and with that debunks one of the secrets his wife had held from him for the past three years of marriage. The atmosphere was tense. Emotions flared with no restrictions. The thoughts of regret and 'what-if's filled the air in the room of their son Ethan.

This was the first time the two had met since the disappearance. Dave, being dumbfounded after getting bits and pieces of information over a long stretch of time, could not not let this new wave of information about his wife sink in so subtly. He had questions that needed to be answered. He had emotions that needed to be resolved. In this event, he had managed to do so.

Yong Renn Kai
31/March/2014

A Study In Bohemia By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

            The novel that I have read this month is A Scandal In Bohemia by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle which tells the story of the battle of wits between Sherlock Holmes with a wise woman that had managed to fool him. The story begins as Dr. Watson is paying Sherlock Holmes a visit, while they receive a guest who introducing himself as Count Von Kramm, an agent for a wealthy client. However, Sherlock discovers that the guest is the future King of Bohemia after a short meeting. After realising Sherlock has managed to expose his real identity, he started to describes that he had an affair with a woman who called Irene Adler. The future King also tells Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson that the woman has a photograph of them together which can ruin his future royal marriage. Therefore, he hires Sherlock to steal the photograph back and he is willing to cover any expenses. After the future King had left, they start their investigation to locate the photograph.

            The most interesting event in the novel would be when Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson break into Adler’s house. Sherlock changes his costume and general look before they break in. After that, both of them depart Baker Street for Adler’s house. When Holmes and Watson arrive, a group of jobless men meander throughout the street. When Adler's coach pulls up, Holmes enacts his plan. A fight breaks out between the men on the street over who gets to help Adler. Holmes rushes into the fight to protect Adler, and is seemingly struck and injured. Adler takes him into her sitting room, where Holmes motions for her to have the window opened. As Holmes lifts his hand, Watson recognizes a pre-arranged signal and tosses in a plumber's smoke rocket. While smoke billows out of the building, Watson shouts "FIRE!" and the cry is echoed up and down the street. Holmes slips out of Adler's house and tells Watson what he saw. As Holmes expected, Adler rushed to get her most precious possession at the cry of "fire"—the photograph of herself and the King. Holmes was able to see that the picture was kept in a recess behind a sliding panel just above the right bell pull. He was unable to steal it at that moment because the coachman was watching him.

            However, Sherlock Holmes failed to catch Irene Adler in the next morning when they return to her house. Sherlock pulled out a photograph of Irene Adler herself in evening dress and a letter which directed to Sherlock. In the letter, Adler tells Holmes that he did very well in finding the photograph and fooling her with his disguises. Adler has also promised that she will keep the photograph only as protection and not to use it against the future King. At last, the future King of Bohemia asks Sherlock how he wants to be paid, he just asks for the photograph of Adler. Sherlock keeps it as a souvenir of the cleverness of Irene Adler.  

 And that was how a great scandal threatened to affect the kingdom of Bohemia, and how the best plans of Mr. Sherlock Holmes were beaten by a woman's wit. Sherlock Holmes used to make merry over the cleverness of woman, but he did not do it after the incident. And when he speaks of Irene Adler or refers to her photograph, it is always under the honorable title. To Sherlock Holmes, she is always the woman.

Koo Chong Jing

4 Cergas

31^st March 2014

Perfect Chemisty by Simone Elkeles

                  “You are the one girl that made me risk eveything for a future worth having.”

         
                I have chosen the novel Perfect Chemistry by the author Simone Elkeles for this month. This is the second novel that i have chosen, written by Simone Elkeles. Perfect Chemistry is a story about a girl named Brittany Ellis who is perfect in everyone's eyes and also about a bad boy named Alex fuentes. Brittany is perfect. She’s captain of the pom squad, gets good grades, always looks terrific, and dates the most popular boys while Alex is the total opposite of Britanny. He is your typical bad boy. He is constantly getting into fights and definitely lives his life on the edge, but Alex too has his own secret about why is he in a gang and constantly getting into fights.



               This novel has some interesting events but one that really stood up for me is when Alex and Brittany first met. Their paths cross on the first day of their senior year at Farfield High School when Brittany nearly hits Alex when she attempted to pull the same parking place. This is the first time they met and made eye contact with each other. So because of Brittany nearly ran over Alex, its automatically a bad impression on the first day when they met.  Well unfortunately again, their paths crossed again when they were paired into lab partners in their chemistry class. Brittany can't stand Alex, he was cocky, rude and his appearance just made her feel sick. At this point, hate isnt something to describe what they felt for each other, its more than hate. But those feelings started to fade away soon in the novel.


              I think this event is the most interesting is because it is the start of what has to come. It's also interesting because from the hate they had for each other, it turned into something really unexpected and yes it is love.



-Adri Irman
 4 cergas

  

           

The Fault In Our Stars

 The novel that i have read this month is "The Fault in Our Stars " by John Green . The story take place in Indiana , where sixteen years old Hazel Grace Lancaster attends a cancer patient"s support group  . Because  of her cancer , she use a portable oxygen tank to breathe properly . In one of the meeting she catches the   eyes n a teenage boy , and she learns the boy names Augustus Waters . After the meeting ends , Augustus    approach Hazel and they started to chat . Hazel reveals she has thyroid cancer that has spread to her lungs . Augustus had osteosarcoma but he is now cancer free after having his leg amputated .Before Augustus takes Hazel home , they agree to read one another "s favorite novels . Augustus gives Hazel the Price of Dawn while Hazel suggest An Imperial Affliction . A week after they discuss the literally meaning of AIA , Augustus reveals that he tracked down Peter Van Houten 's Asisstant , Lidewij . Through her , he managed to contact the reclusive author . Peter Van Houten eventually replies and saying he could only answer Hazel's question in person .He invite her to stop by if she ever in Amsterdam . 

           Based on the novel , an interesting event would be the part of Augustus , Hazel and her mother visit to Amsterdam but when Hazel and Augustus meet Peter Van Houtan , they found that , instead a prolific genius , he is just a mean-spirited drunk who claims he cannot answer Hazel's question . Then both of them leave Peter Van Houten's house with disappointment and accompanied by Lidewij who just resigned because of his bad attitude . They tour Anne Frank's house and at the end of the tour they shared an romantic kiss to the applause of spectators . 


Lum Sin Yee
4 Cergas 
31 April 2014

The Secret Island - Pavitran

          Today I’m going to write about the book ‘The Secret Island’ by Enid Blyton. The story was about Mike and Nora. Their parents, Captain and Mrs. Arnold, built a new airplane and flew off to Australia in it. But somewhere along the way they vanished and nothing more was heard from them. Ever since then, the children have been living with their Aunt Harriet and Uncle Henry, who are really quite strict and horrid. So they and their friend Jack who lived in a nearby farm decided to leave to a nearby abandoned island. The place turns out to be a secret island on a very large lake. The lake is surrounded by woods, and apparently nobody even knows the island is there, so it remains unexplored by anyone.

          The most interesting part of the story is how they prepared to run away from their homes to get to the secret island. Mike and Nora decided to steal all the equipment and food from their uncle’s house. They decided to leave their house on midnight. Jack on the other hand had no one else with him as he lives alone after his granddad left somewhere.  He decided to bring a cow and two chickens with him! They later then met up at the lake and used Jacks boat to get to the other side. Jack had to make a few trips as he needed to bring along the farm animals as well!
   
  

Things Not Seen

For this month's objective, which is an interesting event, I have chosen to read "Things Not Seen" by Andrew Clements. 

An interesting event in this story would be when Bobby, a 15 year old boy who has become invisible overnight tries to live his life being invisible. The story starts off with Bobby waking up one morning finding himself invisible. Upon discovery, he heads downstairs and tries to convince his parents that it's not a trick. He drinks a glass of orange juice, which to the astonishment of his parents, seems to make a "spoon float in the air." His parents wants to keep it a secret and wants him to stay at home. But when Bobby ventures out of the house and visits the library, he meets Alicia, a blind girl to whom he confides his secret. Together, they try to find the 'cure' for his predicament. Part of Bobby's journey to become visible involves invading the Sears-Roebuck corporate headquarters. During which he steals a list of names of people who previously complained to Sears-Roebuck about a "bad blanket". Bobby uses this list to locate Sheila Borden, who became invisible a few years prior to the events in the book. She tells him never to tell anyone who she is. Bobby tells Alicia, however. Later Bobby instant messages Alicia. Bobby wants to give up on finding a cure, but Alicia has a bright idea. She tells him maybe if he gets under the blanket again, his problem will be reversed. Bobby crawls under the blanket. He awakens to find several loud voices. Ms. Pagett, his mother, and a random agent come into his room. Bobby doesn't realize that he is visible now, with several people staring at him naked. He quickly covers up. And his mom says that he came back from his extended trip to Florida the night before. His dad is happy that he is back, but is mad he didn't think before acting. Later he goes to tell Alicia the news. She doesn't take it well, feeling that Bobby doesn't need her anymore. Bobby goes home and tries calling and instant messaging her. Finally, she replies with a poem. Bobby goes over to her house to tell her how much he loves her.

Choong Kee Sam

4 Cergas

The Warlock’s Hairy Heart

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K.Rowling (The Warlock’s Hairy Heart)

I have read The Tales of Beedle the Bard which were written by J.K.Rowling. This book is a compilation of 5 shorts stories for kids or in this case young wizard or witch. The stories are The Wizard and The Hopping Pot, The Fountain of Fair Fortune, The Warlock’s Hairy Heart, Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump and the infamous The Tale of The Three Brothers.

                The story that I’ve chosen for this month is The Warlock’s Hairy Heart. This story is about a warlock that observed all of his friends grew foolish when they fell in love. Because of this, he swore to never fall in love. “And employed Dark Arts to ensure his immunity”.

                For this month book review, the response that I should give is about an interesting event. The story gets more interesting when the guest that attends the feast searched for the warlock and the maiden when they realized that they had gone missing for a few hours. When they had finally found them, they discovered “the maiden lay dead upon the floor, her breast cut open, and beside her crouched the mad warlock, holding in one bloody hand a great, smooth, shining  scarlet heart, which he licked and stroked, vowing to exchange for his own.”

The warlock then tried to replace his heart with the maiden’s smooth beautiful one using his wand but he failed. “The hairy heart was stronger than he was, and refused to relinquish its hold upon his senses or to return to the coffin in which it had been locked for so long.”

                 So the warlock angered by his heart stronghold in his chest, he vowed to never be mastered by his own heart. He put aside his wand and hacked his hairy heart from his chest with a silver dagger.

                For a moment, the warlock felt triumph holding his hairy chest in his hand, and fell across the maiden’s dead body and died.

Atiqah Syahmina Binti Azlan

4 Cergas

30 March 2014

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows

The book review for this month is Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows. An interesting event I found in this novel is the epilogue which is the last part of this novel. The novel, the last in the series, closes with a brief epilogue set 19 years later, in which Harry and Ginny Weasley are a married couple with three children: James Sirius, Albus Severus, and Lily Luna. Ron and Hermione Weasley are also married and have two children, Rose and Hugo. The families meet at King's Cross station, where a nervous Albus is departing for his first year at Hogwarts. Harry's godson, Teddy Lupin, is found kissing Bill and Fleur Weasley's daughter Victoire in a train carriage. Harry sees Draco Malfoy and his wife with their son, Scorpius. Neville Longbottom is now a Hogwarts professor and remains friends with the two families. Harry comforts Albus, who is worried he will be sorted into Slytherin, and tells his son that one of his two namesakes, Severus Snape, was a Slytherin and the bravest man he had ever met. He adds that the Sorting Hat takes one's choice into account, like it did for Harry. The book ends with these final words: "The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well."

I liked this part of the novel because after Harry Potter has made a lot of sacrifice in his entire life, at last he lived a happy life with his family and with the one he loves.  

- SHANGARI DEVARAJ-

        4 CERGAS

 

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

               The novel follows a fifteen-year-old introverted boy named Charlie through his freshman year of high school. He experiences a variety of universal teen firsts: first date, first kiss, first dance and many more. Written as a series of letters from Charlie to an anonymous recipient, it almost feels like you're reading Charlie's private diary—scandalous, I know. The book's frank depictions of teen sexuality, homosexuality, drugs and alcohol, suicide, and pretty much everything else
           
               The event that I find interesting in this book is when Charlie made friends! For the first time since Michael's death, Charlie goes to the high school football game. He doesn't really watch the game(our guy is more of a people watcher). Charlie sees the kid from his shop class at the game, the one he still calls Nothing. Nothing, who calls himself Patrick, of course—introduces Charlie to Sam, a very pretty girl if you ask Charlie. Now that Patrick has introduced himself as "Patrick," Charlie figures he'll call him by his actual name. After the game, the three teenagers go eat at the local Big Boy. Topics of conversation include favorite songs, movies, and books; and Charlie finds out that Sam and Patrick are step-siblings.

Anisha

4 Cergas

30th March 2014

Petals From The Sky

For this month, I've read 'Petals From the Sky' by Mingmei Yip. In this novel, Yip spins a tale about a Hong Kong woman, Meng Ning, who received her PhD. at the age of 30, tries to escapes her dysfunctional, never-do-well family to become a Buddhist nun. Unfortunately, she was then to realize that she had run away from her own heart. The book is filled with flabbergasted scenes and confusion and I, as a decent reader, was also enthralled with the wonders of fear, faith and love.


               An interesting event of the book would be the part where Meng Ning found her companion; her love; her soul mate, in such a tragic yet treacherous state - at the fire. With an enigmatic nun known as Yi Kong, "Depending on Emptiness," as her mentor, Meng Ning spends the next ten years studying abroad, disdaining men, and preparing to enter the nunnery. Then, a fire breaks out at her Buddhist retreat, and Meng Ning is carried to safety by Michael Fuller, a young American doctor. The unprecedented physical contact stirs her curiosity. And as their tentative friendship grows intimate, Meng Ning realizes she must choose between the sensual and the spiritual life. There, I sense the love evaporating into the air; having me taking in the gratitude for Meng Ning and her decision.


Sau Jean Ying
29 March 2014
4Cergas

BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON BY DEAN KOONTZ. Based on the novel By The Light Of The Moon by Dean Koontz, there is an interesting event in the story.The story is about a man,Dylan O' Conner with his autistic brother,Shepherd and woman named Jilly Jackson.This story involves them in a similar situation in one night that changes their life. The most interesting event from this story is when Dylan,together with his brother,Shepherd,pulls into a motel off the interstate highway,all he wants is a good night's sleep.Yet within the hour he finds himself bound,gagged and being injected with a mysterious fluid by a lunatic doctor,who claims Dylan will be the carrier of "his life's work" Whereas Comedian Jilly Jackson is midway through a tour of seedy venues,accompanied by her pet pot plant Fred.But her plans for stardom are dramatically altered when she too falls victim to the eccentric scientist.The doctor warns his victims that he is being pursued and that they too are now targets . If they caught,they will be killed.Both are sceptical.Before long,they are beginning to wonder if the lunatic doctor wasn't quite so mad after all.The end. RACHANA MYLVAGANAM.

11 Birthdays

The novel I read is 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass. On Amanda and Leo’s first birthday, they learned to walk. On their fifth, they planted seeds in handmade pots. On their tenth, they learned there are some words you can never take back. 

Amanda’s eleventh birthday should be a happy occasion. Instead she’s dressed in an itchy costume her mother picked out for her boring Hollywood-themed party while, across town, her ex-best friend, Leo, is celebrating their joint birthday with a huge bash including a hypnotist, a football star, a giant iguana, and a rock band. SO not fair! Amanda can’t wait for the day AFTER her birthday so she can stop thinking about the fight led to her and Leo to have separate parties for the first time in their lives. There’s just one problem. The next day is her birthday all over again. She found out that Leo experienced the same condition which was LIVING THE SAME DAY AGAIN AND AGAIN.

Diong Wei Shan
4 Cergas
29th March 2014

For One Day More by Mitch Albom

The novel that I'm going to review for this month's book review is For One More Day by Mitch Albom. This is a touching story about the family we love and the chances we miss. It is the story of a mother and a son, and a relationship that covers a lifetime and beyond. It explores the question, “What would you do if you could spend one more day with the ones you love?”  The story covers a conversation Charley Benetto has with a sports writer. Throughout the conversation he goes back and forth between the one last day he had with his mother and the important events in his life, sharing his feelings– both past and present– about them. 

As a young boy Charley Benetto makes the choice to be a daddy’s boy and does everything his father asks him to.  Then his father disappears, leaving a broken family and an embarrassing situation for the young Charley to endure.  Being raised by a single mother has it’s challenges and plenty of embarrassment, many that Charley takes out on his mother.

So he chooses his father, and he worships him- right up to the day the man disappears.  An eleven-year-old Charley must then turn to his mother, who bravely raises him on her own, despite Charley’s emabarrassment and yearning for a complete family.

The interesting part of this story begans when Charley becomes a broken man.  His life has been crumbled by alcohol and regret.  He loses his job. He leaves his family. He hits bottom after discovering his only daughter has shut him out of her wedding.  And he decides to take his own life.

The most interesting part of this story is when he makes a midnight ride to his small home-town, with plans to do himself in.  But upon failing to do that, he staggers back to his old house, only to make an astonishing discovery. His mother- who died eight years earlier- is still living there, and welcomes him home as if nothing had ever happened.

What follows is the one ‘ordinary’ day so many of us yearn for, a chance to make good with a lost parent, to explain family secrets, and to seek forgiveness.  Somewhere between this life and the next, Charley learns the things he never knew about his mother and her sacrifices.  And he tries, with her tender guidance, to put the crumbled pieces of his life back together.

Shairashree

4 Cergas

28th March 2014

Tomorrow girls#1 Behind the Gates

The novel that I have chosen for this month's book review is Tomorrow Girls#1 Behind the Gates. This is the first of four books about four girls living in the near future, a time when the US is locked in an endless war with the shadowy Alliance. Each book is told from the POV of a different girl, this one through the eyes of Louisa, a well-to-do thirteen year old who can't imagine what life was like as her parents tell it -- when people drove their own cars and actually visited other states, when people had privacy and no one wore identity bracelets from the moment they were born.
The interesting event I found in this book is Louisa's world is much different, where even the moderately well off live lives of deprivation and uncertainty as the War drags on and kids are shipped off to schools far away from home, with no one told where they are, just "to keep them safe". Safety concerns are used to cover a multitude of governmental sins, though we don't get much specific information about the situation. 

And now it's time for Louisa to go off to school. She's both scared and excited at this chance to get away from her protective parents. And bonus, they've managed to trick the ID bracelet of her best friend Maddie, whose parents are both off fighting, so the girls can go to school together, pretending to be twins. When they arrive at the Country Manor School, Louisa loves it. She's making new friends and finding herself successful at a a variety of survival skills like archery, riflery and orienteering. Maddie, however, resents the school's premise that these elite (ie, wealthy) kids are the future leaders of the country, and she hangs out with the school's misfits, including one girl who's convinced that something sinister is going on. And maybe she's not far off base ....

Jaiswarry a/p Sundaram
4 Cergas
28th March 2014

Mockingbird

Interesting Events

     For years Nelle juggled a series of unrewarding jobs in New York. Bookstore clerk and then ticket agent for two different airline company, writing at night and on weekends. By November 1956 she had completed a handful of stories that satisfied her. "The Land of Sweet Forever", "A Roomful of Kibble", "Snow on the Mountain" and "The Viewer and the Viewed".

     Actually, Brown had steered her to the wrong person, but he was not too far off. Williams handled film and dramatic rights for books, plays and musicals- this was why Brown knew of her. He had shown her the outline of a musical he was working on called Jack O'Diamonds. The person Nelle needed to see was Maurice Crain, Williams' husband, the representative of literary properties.

     Readers, teachers and scholars alike tend to assume that in writing To Kill a Mockingbird, Nelle was choosing to tell a version of the Scottsboro Boys trials in 1931-1937. The Scottsboro "boys' were accused of raping two white girls in boxcars on the Southern Railroad freight run from Chattanooga to Memphis, as the train crossed the Alabama border on march 25, 1931. The public was fascinated by the store because of its sheer ugliness. During the boys' first trial, in Scottsboro, Alabama, their legal counsel was an alcoholic real estate attorney and his doddering assistant.

     During the boys' second trial, they were hoping to expose the inequities of the U.S. justice system, the Communists appointed attorneys Samuel Liebowitz and Joseph Brodsky. Four of the boys were released after all charges against them were dropped. Eventually, all the Scottsboro boys were freed except for one, who attempted to rape and kill the two white girls in boxcars. He was arrested by the Michigan authorities and sentenced to 20 years in jail.

How Qi Ming
4 Cergas
28th of March 2014

Forrest Gump

            Forrest Gump has so many interesting events to offer, mainly because it is such a good book. And what I am about to show you is my favorite event in this entire book.

            Despite only having an IQ of 75, he's still one of my favorite fictional characters of all time. Due to his crooked spine, he was forced to wear leg braces, making it hard for him to walk and nearly impossible to run. His low IQ prevented him from being accepted into public school. But for his child's own future, his mother managed to induce the principal by sleeping with her. Even though he was physically and mentally challenged, Forrest's mother always told him to not let anyone tell him he was different, hence the quote "stupid is a stupid does"

            On Forrest's first day of school, he met Jenny on the bus. They became good friends. Forrest described their relationship as "Jenny and me was like peas and carrots". Jenny accepted Forrest for who he was. However her home life was not as good as Forrest's.Her mother died when she was 5 and her father was an alcoholic who molested her. But Forrest's friendship offered her an escape.

            One day, a group of bullies was throwing fruits at Forrest and chased him with their bicycles. As his good friend, Jenny was impotent to help Forrest. All she did was she told him to run away, as fast as he could. Forrest struggled really hard to run, and as he ran, his leg braces broke apart. Once he was free, he was able to run incredibly fast. And just like that, Forrest never had to wear leg braces again. Sometimes he likes running for no reason, and like his mother said, "sometimes we all do things that, well, just don't make no sense"
           

Foo Zhiyi

4 Cergas

28th of March 2014

P.S. I LOVE YOU by Cecelia Ahern

 P.S.I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

  The story that I have read is P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern. This story revolves around Holly, a young widow who is trying to face the future without her love of live who is her husband. Gerry and Holly were deeply in love. But, suddenly Gerry dies of a brain tumor which leaves Holly devastated. Gerry had arranged to deliver letters to his beloved wife after his death. Each letter contains meaningful messages which would keep Holly going without giving up in her life. Even on her birthday, Gerry had arranged to send her a birthday cake and the letter.

      As the days pass by, Holly receives the letters for each month. The message in the letters fills her with encouragement and brings back the spark in her life. Moreover, in some letters Holly is instructed to do something which she hates to do. One of it is singing at the karaoke bar. One of the interesting event in this novel is, when there is a letter where her husband is instructing her to find a nice outfit because she will be going to sing karaoke. She hated to sing karaoke. There was a flash back which made her hate singing karaoke. One day when Gerry was singing karaoke in the bar he dared Holly to sing for 100 dollars. At first she hesitated, but then she finished her drink; stood up and said she’ll do it for 200 dollars. During the performance on stage, she tripped on some wires and fell. Eventually, Holly ended up with a broken nose and a sprained foot.

  But back to the present without her husband Gerry, Holly goes to the Karaoke bar as she was instructed by her dearly loved husband, Gerry. As she reaches the bar, she does a song but in the end she breaks down crying and leaves the bar. This is one of the interesting event from the novel because even when Gerry is no more he is still guiding Holly to break out of her comfort zone through his letters.

Gerry’s last letter to Holly:

 ''Dear Holly, I don't have much time. I don't mean literally, I mean you're out buying ice cream and you'll be home soon. But I have a feeling this is the last letter, because there is only one thing left to tell you. It isn't to go down memory lane or make you buy a lamp, you can take care of yourself without any help from me. It's to tell you how much you move me, how you changed me. You made me a man, by loving me Holly. And for that, I am eternally grateful... literally. If you can promise me anything, promise me that whenever you're sad, or unsure, or you lose complete faith, that you'll try to see yourself through my eyes. Thank you for the honor of being my wife. I'm a man with no regrets. How lucky am I. You made my life, Holly. But I'm just one chapter in yours. There'll be more. I promise. So here it comes, the big one. Don't be afraid to fall in love again. Watch out for that signal, when life as you know it ends. P.S. I will always love you.''

Loshini Sivaraja
4 Cergas

Diary Of The Wimpy Kid (Interesting events)                                                                                       

Greg Heffley is entering seventh grade. Greg and his friend Rowley are "undersized weaklings" in their school, hoping simply to just survive, but Greg starts having trouble at home, especially since his mom, Susan initiates a "swear jar" that complicates matters when she gives all the money in the jar to Manny, Greg's younger brother. Susan also initiates the "Mom Bucks"... 

         Mom Bucks is a system in which they earn play money by doing extra chores and they can cash it in for real money, each worth one cent to Greg's dismay, or getting out of doing chores. The program runs into problems when Rodrick takes all of Greg's Mom Bucks to get his poorly written history paper to turn in after the worst case scenario happens. Susan also causes more problems when she bans junk food in the house. Greg also tries every attempt to impress his crush, Holly Hills. Rodrick and Greg have problems throughout the book, including Rodrick and his band, "Loded Diper" throwing a wild party while their parents are away. Greg is forced to use whatever means he can to cover this up to avoid getting in trouble. 

Greg Heffley is just trying to put the summer and its events behind him. It would be a lot easier if his mean older brother Rodrick didn't know his darkest secret. All Greg has to do is keep Rodrick quiet and keep his journal out of Rodrick's hands and everything should be OK, well not OK, but tolerable. 

Satish Loganathan

Looking For Alaska by John Green

                    The novel that I read entitled "Looking For Alaska" written by John Green. Yes, John Green is one of my favourite authors because a lot of people have been saying that the novels that he wrote are very interesting and inspiring to others.
                     One of the interesting events that I find in this novel is when Alaska tells Pudge (also known as Miles Halter) about Simon Bolivar's last lines. It was about a word called "labyrinth". So, Miles asks her what the labyrinth is and Alaska tells him that is the mystery. After they joke about Alaska having a boyfriend and Pudge being single, the make a deal which is if Miles figures out what the labyrinth  is then Alaska will get him laid.
                      And then, one fine day, while they (Alaska, Pudge and the Colonel) are still at the barn, they smoke, drink and try to pass the time. In the drunk mode, Alaska tells Pudge and the Colonel about her mother's death from an aneurysm (abnormal widening or ballooning of a portion of an artery due to weakness in the wall of the blood vessel) when she was eight years old. At that time, she feels guilty for not calling 911 as soon as possible, though she did not understand what was happening at the moment because she was too young. Pudge figures that her mother's death made Alaska acting like a spoiled brat as she smokes, drinks and so on.
                      At the end, Pudge concludes that the meaning of labyrinth is a person's suffering and that we must find our way out. Unfortunately, Alaska received a phone call in the middle of the night that leaves her hysterically crying and she tells her friends that she has to leave. Alaska drives away, still drunk. She got into a really bad accident and Alaska died. Later, Pudge and the Colonel remember what date Alaska's mom had died and realize Alaska died the morning after.

Nadhrah Hani
26th March
                 
                     

The Lost Symbol

The Lost Symbol


The novel I have read is The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown which tells the story of Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon who is invited to give a lecture at the United States Capitol, with the invitation apparently from his mentor, a 33rd degree Freemason named Peter Solomon, who is the head of the Smithsonian Institution. Solomon has also asked him to bring a small, sealed package which he had entrusted to Langdon years earlier. When Langdon arrives at the Capitol, however, he learns that the invitation he received was not from Solomon, but from Solomon's kidnapper, Mal'akh, who has left Solomon's severed right hand in the middle of the Capitol Rotunda in a recreation of the Hand Of Mysteries. Mal'akh then contacts Langdon, charging him with finding both the Mason's Pyramid, which Masons believe is hidden somewhere underground in Washington D.C., and the Lost Word, lest Solomon be executed.

One of the most exciting events in the story would be when Mal'akh places Langdon into an airtight sensory deprivation tank, where he interrogates Langdon by slowly filling the tank with liquid. He is able to convince Langdon to unlock the code at the Pyramid's base, but continues to fill the tank until Langdon apparently drowns. Mal'akh then ties Katherine to a chair and inserts an open-ended transfusion needle into her arm, and leaves her to bleed to death, and then flees with a weakened and wheelchair-bound Peter Solomon to the Temple Room of the Scottish Rite's House of The Temple. He uses the threat of not calling an ambulance for Katherine as further coercion for Peter's cooperation. Sato leads a team of agents to the mansion after Langdon and Katherine's escort fails to check in, and are able to save Katherine's life. Langdon is revealed to have survived, due the "water" in the tank actually being breathable oxygenated liquid, and the tank being a device for meditation. Sato, Langdon, and Katherine race to the House of the Temple where Mal'akh threatens to release a heavily edited video showing government officials performing secret Masonic rituals (the same video that Sato showed to Bellamy), which without context, appears highly disturbing. Mal'akh forces the Word—the circumpunct—out of Peter and tattoos it on his head on the last portion of unmarked skin on his body. Mal'akh then orders Peter to sacrifice him, as he believes that it is his destiny to become a demonic spirit and lead the forces of evil. When Peter claims that he will do so without hesitation to avenge his son and mother, Mal'akh shocks Peter by revealing that he is actually Zachary Solomon himself, having conspired with the prison warden to fake his death by disfiguring the body of another inmate beyond recognition (at the same time, Langdon, Katherine and Bellamy discover several photos of Zachary in Greece after his supposed death that show his gradual transformation into Mal'akh). Tears in his eyes, Peter prepares to stab Zachary, but ultimately cannot bring himself to do so, and drops the knife just as Langdon arrives and tackles him. Director Sato arrives at the Temple in a helicopter, which smashes the Temple's overhead glass panel, the shards of which fatally impale Zachary. The CIA then thwart Zachary's plan to transmit the video to several leading media channels using an EMP blast, disabling a cell tower in the network path leading from Zachary's laptop computer. Langdon and Katherine then share a tearful reunion with Peter, and mourn Zachary's death. Zachary, in soul form, is only briefly able to lament his body's mutilation before he is presumably dragged down to Hell.

This part of the story is extremely exciting to me. I cannot tell you more, for I fear I might reveal to much. Read the novel to know more.



Lim Kong Sun