Second Post on Ally Carter's "Heist Society"

So... I finally finished Heist Society… IT WAS SO MUCH FUN :)

 

As I stated in my previous post, I had trouble getting into Carter's novel.  Kat’s world wasn’t laid out clearly…  there seemed to be a lot happening at once and it was hard to keep track of what was going on.  But, midway through the novel, I finally got sucked in… and forgave all my earlier quibbles.  

I really enjoyed the plot of Heist Society.  I loved the various twists and turns that always kept me on my toes.  I remember thinking who is Visily Romani?  What happened to the paintings?  Everything was a mystery and just when I thought I had it figured out, I found myself thrown for another loop.

It was fun watching kids plan complex art heists and seeing how they would pull it off.  I also enjoyed how Carter manages to remind us that the characters are still teens…through issues of jealousy & romance.

I loved the historical twist into the art heist when Kat meets Mr. Romani.  It turns out that Taccone’s paintings were actually stolen from their original owners by the Nazi’s during WWII and haven’t been seen since.  

My one complaint about this book is that I felt like I didn’t really get a chance to get to know the characters..including Kat.  I wonder if the use of a first-person narrator would have given me a better glimpse into the inner workings of Kat’s mind.  I plan on reading the sequel... So, maybe that will fill in some of the character gaps. 

I hope in future novels, Carter may write more about Kat’s parents and perhaps how the family started stealing in the first place.

In response to Jago's Criteria... I think this novel hits criteria 1 & 6.  Carter writes in a language that is simplistic for her teenage audience.  There were plenty of places in the text where I laughed out loud.  However, I did not walk away changed... I wish Carter had told this story through the first person.  Maybe, we could have gotten into the mindset of Kat, a little better. 

First Entry on Ally Carter's "Heist Society"

 I’m finally at checkpoint one of the Heist Society & I just have to say… that I am in love, thus far. :)

The book started off a little shaky… there seemed to be a lot happening at once and it was hard to keep track of what was going on.  But, I quickly began to understand Kat’s situation and how her world exists and works.  There seems to be a bit of everything… suspense, mystery and moments that have me on the edge of my seat…Now that I understand the plot, the book is moving very fast & I’m flying through the pages. 

I’m loving the characters...they are warm and likable! I feel like they could be a bit more developed…but, they are enjoyable.  The story is so fun.. and difficult to put down! I’m going to finish reading the book this afternoon or tonight :)

I’m wondering… why would Kat drop everything to help her dad when they seemed to have only a very strained relationship?? I haven’t found any evidence of closeness between them yet.  In addition, Kat makes a big deal about wanting to leave her life of crime behind…but, steps back into it without a second thought.  I expected a little more internal conflict there.  

 

Although I have questions, Carter is definitely getting me hooked.  I’m thoroughly entertained.  She puts all of these twists & turns in the story.. so, when I think I’ve figured out where she is going… She performs a 180 & leaves me scrambling to figure out what’s going to happen next. 

I can’t wait to finish the ending of the book!!!

My World Vs. World of Hunger Games

My World:
I'm allowed to go to school
I'm allowed to travel/go where I please
Freedom of Speech
I have warm food on a table every night
I can be what I want to be
I don't have to steal
I don't have to worry about lotteries

World of Hunger Games
I don't have food on the table every night
Government has hunger games for source of entertainment
I have to steal
Live in districts.
Live in constant fear

Study Unit of the Novel The Hunger Game

Analyzing:
Question 1 &Question 2: Examples of Denotation & Connotation
Denotation: Government is authoritative
Roman References During the Time of Caesar


Connotation: Gladiatorial Games/Survivor -Form of Entertainment

I definitely believe Suzanne Collins is trying to warn her readers of the future of our world.  
I think she is trying to show what can happen if the government controls its citizens, resources and everything individuals have.  Collins' displays this through the Hunger Games... The citizens were reminded not to rebel... they had no personal choice.. they were at the will of the Capitol. 

Suzanne Collins & "The Hunger Games"

Before reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, I had heard Dr. Jones, Dr. Hopkins & both Heather's describe the book as "awesome"... so, I was already anticipating its greatness.  Now that I've read it... I can say that I think it met all my expectations.  

The Hunger Games is a really compelling read that takes place in a future I could actually imagine.  The book was so addicting... I didn't want to put it down.   I read about a third of the book just during our Reading Workshop last week.  It was so hard to put my thoughts aside... I was wondering what was going to happen next.  When I finally came to the last page.. I wasn't ready for the book to end &  I'm excited & anxious to read more of Suzanne Collins' work.

The Hunger Games is about Katniss, a sixteen year old girl from the poorest of the 12 districts, who volunteers to take her sister's place in the annual Hunger Games.  Once inside the arena, she must try and stay alive in the wilderness.

The beginning of the book reminded me a bit of The Lottery, a short story written by Shirley Jackson, that I had the opportunity to read last spring in an English Literature course, here at Nazareth.  The only difference is that in this lottery, your chances of being picked are higher if you're in danger of starvation.. because you can enter your name extra times in exchange for simple things like food.

 The characters kept the book exciting & they were so detailed.   The amount of description that she uses.. was unreal!  I grew so attached to Katniss & Peeta... I could not help but wish they wouldn't die.  As the book progressed... I started to feel utter disgust towards the individuals who choose to let these innocent children murder each other for the entertainment of the public!

This book truly pulled on my heart strings!  Although this may be a teen book, I think it has the power to touch anyone :)

PS..
I'm so excited to hear that this book is going to be made into a major motion picture! I really can't wait to see it :)

Look What's Coming Out in May 2011 :)

Hunger Games... to the Theater :)  Here is the Movie Trailer!!!
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef-oiEa6KHg&feature=related

Persepolis: Reading Guide

Details about Individual:
-Marji Satrapi- realistic and relatable
-disliked new government

-facial features=simplistic...


Spatial

layout on page 103- long frames
black/white contrast
facial features simplistic
chaos

Garrett Freymann-Weyr & "My Heartbeat"

I absolutely loved My Heartbeat by Garrett Freymann-Weyr!  When I first checked out the novel, I thought it was just going to be some cutesy little story about a girl figuring out that her brother is gay, but... it is so much more than that.  There is laughter, tears, confusion, love, acceptance, and most importantly, there's truth in the message that no matter how much you may come to love and accept yourself, not everyone is going to be ready to accept you for who you are. 

From the first page, I identified with Ellen, the main character & eased comfortably into her relationship with Link & James.  I was surprised at how subtle the issue of sexual identity emerged and how honestly it was handled.  

I haven't really ever found many books that show the struggles of sexuality and young love in a realistic and complex way.  However, I think this novel does.  It also blurs the lines of what exactly it means to be straight or gay and examines how we figure out who we are and who we love. 

The flow of the story really drew me in.  I could picture each scene in my mind as I watched the story unfold and I could picture the expressions of each of the characters.   All the characters in this novel were so unique & yet so universal.  I loved them all desperately. I liked how Freymann-Weyr gave hints so I could read between the lines... she never spelled things out or let Ellen figure out more than would be typical of a 14 year old girl in her situation.  I loved the dialog in the novel.... it's amazing and actually made my heart hurt in several places because it was so real.

I thorougly enjoyed reading the novel because it tackles topics that aren't usually discussed in contemporary YA novels.  Ellen strives to learn and understand so much in just a short span of time.  She's very naive and innocent at the start of the novel and as the story progresses, she learns to see so many different things.  I remember being Ellen's age and how I was filled with wonder at the things that I learned and discovered. I think this is an awesome novel for adolescents because of the way it deals with the issue of homosexuality... it is very open and doesn't preach about sexual choices.