The Bar Code Tattoo by Suzanne Weyn Reviewed by Emilee Evans
The Bar Code Tattoo by Suzanne Weyn
Summary from amazon.com
The Bar Code Tattoo. Everybody’s getting it. It will make your life easier, they say. It will hook you in. It will become your identity. But what if you say no? What if you don’t want to become a code? For Kayla, this one choice changes everything. She becomes an outcast in her high school. Dangerous things start happening to her family. There’s no option but to run . . . for her life.
Imagine everyone peer pressuring you to get a tattoo that you feel like it could kill you. Kayla Reed does everyone in her society is required to get a bar code tattoo on their wrist on their seventeenth birthday. Kayla feels like the bar code is the mark of the beast after the traumatic events that have happened to her family. In the novel The Bar Code Tattoo by Suzanne Weyn I enjoyed the theme, plot, and setting.
I enjoyed the theme in this novel which I felt was freedom versus control. I felt that because at the beginning it was like if you wanted the tattoo fine and if you didn’t that’s fine too. After a while Kayla’s society was required to get the tattoo as soon as they turn seventeen and if they didn’t they would be placed in jail and other consequences if they resisted. Kayla felt controlled by her society she felt that if she didn’t want the tattoo she shouldn’t have to. Kayla feels like she should have the freedom to do what she wants. Kayla isn’t the only one who feels that way; Kayla meets a group of students called Decode who are against the tattoo just as Kayla is. So it seems…
I also enjoyed the plot in the novel The Bar Code Tattoo. The plot thickens as the story progresses in every chapter there is a surprising twist and outcomes. Also there is a cliff hanger ending that makes me want the finish the entire series. The novel beings with Kayla’s father comminuting suicide and her mother feels that the bar code is to blame so she tries to burn of her tattoo and causes a house fire that she traumatically dies in leaving Kayla to blame for homicide, after those events Kayla has to skip town and run for life.
Lastly I enjoyed the setting in the novel which was the year 2025 which is only 12 years away. I liked the setting because it made me think what if this really could happen in the future. What if my children will be required to get a tattoo that tracks their ever move when they turn seventeen. Thinking about your future is already hard to imagine and thinks that my society could basically take my freedom is freaky. This novel defiantly made me think about things.
Overall I loved The Bar Code Tattoo by Suzanne Weyn; I would recommend this book to teenagers because I feel that the book would intrigue them about their future giving them different scenarios and ideas about what their future could possibly be like. I also would recommend this book to people who genuinely love dystopian novels. If their like me they’ll enjoy the theme, plot and setting.
Marley and Me by John Grogan Reviewed by Emilee Evans
Marley and Me by John Grogan
From amazon.com
John and Jenny were just beginning their life together. They were young and in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world. Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of a puppy. Life would never be the same again.
Could you imagine having the world’s worst dog? The Grogan family dealt with one a daily basis, their dog Marley is a reckless and loving Labrador retriever. The experiences and memories the Grogan’s and Marley made were wonderfull, Marley taught them so many things they probably never even realized, Marley taught them what really matters in life. I loved Marley and Me by John Grogan I really loved the characters, theme, and the vocabulary.
First, I really enjoyed the heartwarming characters in this novel. The characters are real life relatable people you have the hardworking father John, the loving mother Jenny and three children Patrick, Connor and Colleen and their pet Marley. I enjoyed how he described his family from their personalities to their characteristics, I felt like I got an idea of what they looked liked. I really liked how he said Jenny’s personality changed when she got pregnant with her children and how her appearance changed. Also how he described his children’s appearance as they matured.
Second, I really enjoyed the theme in Marley and me which was to “Never slow down, never look back, live each day with adolescent verve and punk and curiosity and playfulness.” I really enjoyed this message so much; I thought it gave me a new perspective on life. Think the main meaning behind the message was to live life and never look back keep moving forward don’t worry about the consequences are just go on. I think whoever would read this book would enjoy the theme as much as I did.
Lastly, I enjoyed the vocabulary used in Marley and Me; I really liked how Grogan wrote how his kids actually talked. When he quoted his children he wouldn’t use correct grammar and vocabulary because children don’t talk like that. Instead of writing daddy he wrote “waddy” and instead of mommy he wrote “mama” having baby talk in the novel wasn’t just a good choice it was so cute and I could totally image the way the children spoke. Mainly the use of vocabulary in this book made me have more of a connection.
Overall I enjoyed Marley and Me the heartwarming and unforgettable story of a family in the making. I personally would recommend this novel to teenagers I feel like they would understand the concept of the book more than an older generation. They could learn to live life and not worry about the consequences just never look back and keep moving forward. I believe they would really enjoy the characters, theme, and vocabulary.
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson Edited by Emilee Evans
From Goodreads.com
Jess Aarons’ greatest ambition is to be the fastest runner in his grade. He’s been practicing all summer and can’t wait to see his classmates’ faces when he beats them all. But on the first day of school, a new girl boldly crosses over to the boys’ side and outruns everyone. That’s not a very promising beginning for a friendship, but Jess and Leslie Burke become inseparable. Together they create Terabithia, a magical kingdom in the woods where the two of them reign as king and queen, and their imaginations set the only limits.
Smack did you hear that? That was Jess’s feet hitting the ground as he practices for his big run. The novel Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson is about a young boy named Jess who meets and young girl named Leslie who just moved in, they meet and become best friends and rulers of their imaginary kingdom Terabithia. Something tragic happens to Leslie and hurts Jess in a way he don’t know what do without her and goes to his sister for help. I disliked Bridge to Terabithia because I didn’t like the speed of the novel, the setting and the characters.
I disliked the speed in Bridge to Terabithia; I believe the book went by too slow. The author could have speed up the novel in so many ways, at the beginning of the book when they were talking about him preparing for his run and we he actually competed took about two long chapters. During those long chapters I got bored because I thought he was never going to run. Mainly I thought she stretched the novel out way more than she should have and by doing so I got bored and I felt that the book was repetitive.
I disliked the setting in Bridge to Terribitha because I didn’t think it was described well enough, and since Terabithia doesn’t exist no one knows what’s its suppose to look like. When Jess and Leslie talked about Terabithia I don’t think the author gave enough detail about it, I was sad that my imagination didn’t grow in this novel. At one point they disscussed about how they would protect the animals of Terabithia and kill anyone that would try to hurt them. Since Terribitha is a made up kingdom I was wondering if there were unique animals and mythical creatures in Terabithia, and I was also wondering about who would try to invade Terribitha I didn’t know if they were just normal humans or dangerous predators or different kinds of villains. Mostly I was just let down that mind couldn’t get the concept of what Terabithia looked like I really wanted know how Jess and Leslie pictured Terabithia and how they envisioned the creatures.
Lastly, I disliked how there wasn’t many characters in Terabithia since it is a make believe place. I thought there could have been more interesting character’s to show the beauty of Terabithia. I could picture this place being a forest full of animals with mystical powers the ability to talk. I could imagine there being scary trolls, trees with faces and even magic fairies. I think that this could have made the book more interesting and held my attention. I like books that can take you to another place and make you feel as if you are right there where everything is taking place, as if I was a character in the story.
I disliked the novel Bridge to Terabithia and I wouldn’t recommend the novel to teenagers because if they are like me they would lose interest after a short time. I believe teenagers would feel this book is too immature for them. I would recommend this book for children between the ages of nine to twelve. I feel it might catch their imagination because they believe in fairy tales and magical places. I believe they would appreciate the speed of the novel, the setting and the characters more than what I did.
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson Reviewed by Emilee Evans
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Summary from Goodreads.com
Melinda Sordino busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now her old friends won’t talk to her, and people she doesn’t even know hate her from a distance. The safest place to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that’s not safe. Because there’s something she’s trying not to think about, something about the night of the party that, if she let it in, would blow her carefully constructed disguise to smithereens. And then she would have to speak the truth. This extraordinary first novel has captured the imaginations of teenagers and adults across the country.
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be an outcast? That question is answered in the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. Melinda is an upcoming freshman who starts school off to a rough start. Melinda is the victim of sexually assault. During an end of the summer party Melinda gets caught calling the cops. Why because the party was getting too wild? No, because Melinda got raped by a stranger no one knows the truth until Melinda has the courage to speak up. Throughout the book I enjoyed the theme, the setting, and the word choice.
I enjoyed the theme in Speak because it happens in everyday life. No one wants to be an outcast because you don’t have any friends and people constantly make fun of you. Melinda struggles in speak because everyone talks about her and no one talks to her. Melinda called the cops because she was raped not because the party got out of hand. The concept of getting raped and being an outcast would be a great discussion to females across the world, because people are being put down and getting raped every day. We should be nice to everyone we don’t know what they go through every day. You watch the news and always hear about teenagers committing suicides. They always commit suicide because the parents say that they get made fun of and even people have killed themselves for getting raped because they think students would bully them for it. Speak teaches you not to judge a book by its cover and that is a good message to send to the readers.
I also enjoyed the setting which was a high school. I liked the setting because like most realistic fictions you probably have been to the location of the story. I have, like the setting in Speak it is a high school, I attend one every day for seven hours. I think Laurie Halse Anderson picked a school as the setting because the reader can relate more she could have just discussed what happened after the party and not even mentioned her in school yet just talking about the last week of summer and what happened in that length of time. But, adding a school made you feel more emotional; it made me emotional because I was nervous on my first day of high school. But Melinda’s nervousness was on a new level she feared what people would say to her or what they would even do to her and I couldn’t image the way she felt everyday at school.
Lastly, I liked the word choice; I really enjoyed the perspective from Melinda. I really enjoyed how the novel showed how what others said affected Melinda physically and mentally. Like when her Lab partner David would talk to her the novel expressed what she said and what she thought. Instead of saying what she wanted to say she said what people wanted to hear. Also when her ex best friend Rachel said she hated her the book showed how saying that affected Melinda. Melinda was super quiet so throughout the whole book anything someone said the book showed what she thought of about them and what they had to say which I thought was a really nice touch.
I really enjoyed the novel and I hope that they make a sequel I want to know what happens when everyone finally figures out what actually happened at that party. I recommend the book to teenage girls because, I think showing the book to teenagers would show them what bulling does to a person physically and mentally. Also if they have been raped or know someone that has been raped reading the book would give them the courage to speak up no matter the consequence is. Melinda is weak and when she was brave enough to speak up and not be afraid anymore was amazing. The climax of the story is the message teenagers need to see; that being weak and letting people be mean to you isn’t okay. And Laurie Halse Anderson expresses that with the great theme, the realistic setting, and the creative word choice.
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